Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Souterrain
Ballyshea, County Galway, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Ballyshea
- County
- Galway
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Latest-edition OS map
- Souterrain
- Coordinates
- 53.17697, -8.71121
- SMR number
- GA104-059001-
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
Shown on 4 historical map sheets, the earliest the 1753 "Mappa geographica Regni Hiberniae" (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗
The National Monuments Service's description
Within the NE quadrant of a rath (GA104-059----). When initially inspected in April 1983 access to this drystone-built souterrain (L 6.9m; H 1.65m), which runs NNW-SSE, was gained at the SSE end. The width of the passage varied from 1m at the entrance to 2.2m at the mid-point to 0.6m at the end-wall. Stone-facing (L 1.8m) visible beyond the access point suggested that the souterrain extended further to SSE. A well had been dug some 2.3m inside the passage. When revisited in October 2001 the entrance was partially blocked with timber to prevent livestock from falling into the souterrain and a sloe bush was growing over it. (McCaffrey 1952, 217, no. 147)
Compiled by: Galway Archaeological Survey, UCG
Date of upload: 6 January 2017
References
McCaffrey, P. 1952 A contribution to the archaeology of the barony of Dunkellin, Co. Galway. Unpublished MA thesis, National University of Ireland, Galway.
Nearby in the register
- Ringfort - rathunder 1 mi
- Barrow - mound barrowunder 1 mi
- Ringfort - rathunder 1 mi
- Souterrainunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.