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Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland

Souterrain

Killashee (Killashee ED), County Kildare, Ireland

Ordnance Survey six-inch map, 2nd edition (1888–1915) covering the location of Souterrain, Killashee, County Kildare, with a pin at the register's coordinates
Ordnance Survey six-inch map, 2nd edition (1888–1915), covering this location. Courtesy of the National Library of Scotland. The pin is ours, placed from the register's coordinates.

The record

Townland
Killashee (Killashee ED)
County
Kildare
Country
Ireland
First-edition OS map
Caves
Latest-edition OS map
Cave
Coordinates
53.18838, -6.67289
SMR number
KD024-003003-

Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.

David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries

4 historical maps cover this location, the earliest the 1790 map "Composite: Ireland." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).

Historical maps covering this location

  • 1790 · Composite: Ireland. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
  • 1799 · Ireland. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
  • 1830 · V.3:11-15:XV. Britisches Reich. C. Kon: Ireland. a. Prov: Leinster. Counties: 1-12 (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
  • 1891 · Ireland 16 (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)

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This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗

The National Monuments Service's description

A Registered Historic Monument (No. 2/2009). In a slight hollow on a gentle S-facing slope at the S end of a low, N-S pasture ridge. The souterrain complex lies in the adjoining field immediately SW of a possible early ecclesiastical site (KD024-003005-) on which a medieval church (KD024-003002-) and graveyard (KD024-003004-) stand. According to Beauford (1789, 84), 'On the west end of the church [KD024-003002-] under a rising ground are a number of subterraneous artificial caves, in a dry sandy soil, with pediment roofs, and communicating with each other by small apertures. One of these caves, near the church, had its sides composed of stone, and covered with flat stones, in which was found part of a quern and the bones of some fowls. The other caves have no other wall or covering than the native earth.' Moore (1918-19, 198) explored the 'caves’ in 1881 and described them as consisting of four branches; 'The passages were clean cut in sand, and the roof was well tapered.' No visible surface trace was evident in 2001, but in 2009 the souterrain was rediscovered when a small portion of a passage collapsed under the weight of passing farm machinery (pers. comm. Mr. Brian McCabe).

Compiled by: Gearóid Conroy

Date of upload: 07 June 2012

Nearby in the register

Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.

Sites and Monuments Record data: National Monuments Service, Government of Ireland, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Record text is reproduced unchanged. National Monuments Service, Government of Ireland · CC BY 4.0
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