Building

The National Monuments Service's description

'The 'guesthouse' described as a hut site in 1996 as follows; 'Located just below the SE revetment wall of the lower terrace, on the SE side of the E flight of steps [KE104A001022-], are the remains of a subrectangular hut. Measuring 5m NE-SW x 2.5m NW-SE internally, its walls are of coursed drystone masonry. A 0.85m wide entrance occurs at E, and a wall-niche, 0.4m wide x 0.8m deep, is preserved at N. A broken stone cross [KE104A001099-] lies prostrate on the N wall. The cross and hut are depicted in a nineteenth century engraving (Dunraven 1875, 29)' (O'Sullivan and Sheehan 1996, 278-90, no. 948 (21)).
Described in 2011 as follows; 'At the top of the east steps, just before the entrance into the lower monks’ garden, is a drystone structure on the left-hand side. It is elongated in shape, with a doorway on the east side, directly opposite the steps. It has one cupboard. This was most probably a guesthouse, where visitors could be accommodated outside the monastery. Associated with this place is a large, undecorated stone cross known as Dunraven’s Cross [KE104A001099-] (Bourke, Hayden and Lynch 2011, 13)'.

See attached LiDAR image of monastery with features labelled, showing the 'Guesthouse' Number 21 taken from Bourke, Hayden and Lynch 2011, 7, and Google Earth orthoimage taken 01/01/2007.

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Kerry. Volume I: South-West Kerry' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2009). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Revised by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of revised upload: 7 March 2022

References

O'Sullivan, A. and Sheehan, J. 1996 The Iveragh peninsula: an archaeological survey of South Kerry. Cork University press.

Bourke, E., Hayden, A. and Lynch, A. 2011 Skellig Michael, Co. Kerry: the monastery and South Peak. Archaeological stratigraphic report: excavations 1986–2010 (E338; 90E34; 93E195). Dept. of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. Dublin.

Dunraven, E. the Earl of 1875 Notes on Irish Architecture, 2 vols. London. George Bell and Sons.