Souterrain

The National Monuments Service's description

The souterrain (KE079-016003-) is stone-built and comprises two passages linked by a short creepway. It terminates in a chamber contained within the caher wall just SW of house (1). The first passage is 6.2m long and averages .8m wide and .75m high. It curves gently downwards from the entrance at NE, beneath the wall of house (1), to SW. Its side-walls are drystone-built and are slightly corbelled in their upper courses. In places they overlie the rock-cut sides of the souterrain's construction trench. The passage is roofed with large slabs. A creepway, .8m long x .4m wide, which is fitted with a neatly cut arch stone, leads from the SW end of the passage to the E end of the second passage. The latter passage is 3.8m long, .9m in average width and .8m high. Aligned E-W, it is constructed in the same manner as the first passage. Its W end underlies the caher wall and here a space, .5m x .4m, was left in its roof to allow access to the overhead wall chamber. Of subrectangular form, this chamber measures 4.8m N-S x 1.2m E-W and is 1m high. It is roofed by a series of large slabs, some of which are supported by a modern concrete pillar. During the conservation work carried out at the site a low opening to this chamber was built through the external face of the caher wall.
There is a number of incised carvings on the N side-wall of the first passage, close to the creepway. It is unclear whether these were incised into the face of the bedrock or only into the layer of dried mud which adheres to it. Of uncertain date, they include a number of concentric circles and a quadruped animal.

The above description is derived from A. O'Sullivan and J. Sheehan (compilers), 'The Iveragh peninsula: an archaeological survey of South Kerry'. Cork University Press (1996), no. 602. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Date of upload: 29 July 2013

This monument is subject to a preservation order made under the National Monuments Acts 1930 to 2014 (PO no. 85/1940).