Souterrain

The National Monuments Service's description

In Letterkenny, located within a town park bordered on the N side by St. Conall’s Hospital. This souterrain was uncovered in 1997 during the construction of the park. The accidental removal of a roof slab by a mechanical digger created a hole (0.8m by 0.77m) in the roof of an E–W chamber (max. Wth 1.38m; L c. 3.6m E-W; H 1.53m). The drystone walls, constructed of rough-cut stones, are vertical for about half their height, and above this, are gradually corbelled to support a roof of five stone lintels, one of which was removed by the digger. At its W end, the chamber narrows (Wth 0.64m) to a possible passageway but this was blocked with a fall of earth and stones and could not be examined. There is a recess (H 0.31m; Wth 0.42m; D 0.52m) in the E wall, and another (H 0.33m; Wth 0.45m; D 0.72m) in the S wall, close to the point where the chamber begins to narrow. (pers. comm. Judith McCarthy, Donegal County Museum). The souterrain was covered with soil, and there is no visible trace at ground level.

Compiled by: Jane O'Shaughnessy

Date of upload: 14 September 2015