Souterrain

The National Monuments Service's description

This souterrain, not marked on the OS maps, was discovered in 1953 during quarrying operations at a gravel ridge a short distance N of the confluence of the Blackwater and Derreendarragh rivers (O'Kelly and Kavanagh 1954a, 50-3). It consisted of a stone-built passage roofed with slabs, and was destroyed during the quarrying.
An ogham-inscribed slab of shaly sandstone was discovered free-standing in the passage. It measures 1.45m in overall length and .3m x .12m in maximum width and thickness. Its lower end is roughly tapered while the upper end was broken off in antiquity. Its inscribed face and side are ground smooth and the angle features well-spaced, narrow, knife-cut scores. The inscription reads up the dexter angle:
BRANADDOVMA MAQI QOLI MUCOI DOVIV . . .
The last character present could also be N or S. The ogham stone is now in CPM (L224).

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. 881. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Date of upload: 29 July 2013