Terrace

The National Monuments Service's description

Main Terrace on Sceilg Mhichíl described in 1996 as follows; The upper and main terraces are 'constructed on a sloping shelf on the E and SE sides on the NE peak. Both are carefully paved with large slabs and are retained by a continuous drystone revetment wall at N, E and S. The upper terrace, which measures 21.75m N-S x 7.5m E-W, was excavated during the late 1980s during conservation work to its revetment wall (Lynch 1987, 21; 1988, 17,18). The main terrace is located to S and SW of the upper one and measures 35.5m NE-SW x 16.5m NW-SE.
The N and E revetment walls of the upper terrace were built on a loose rubble layer with no foundations, unlike the other terraces. The N wall, 3.3m high and 7.5m long, runs at right angles to a vertical rock-face and is outwardly corbelled. The E wall rises in a batter to a maximum height of 7.5m. In the late nineteenth century the OPW levelled off the top of this wall, which had developed a noticeable sag, and in the late 1980s a reinforced concrete arch and a drystone-faced buttress were inserted in its base (information: G. Rourke). A discontinuous offset runs along the lower inner face of the wall. Excavation revealed an accumulation, up to 0.3m deep, of rubble and peat growth on the paved surface of the terrace.
The NE end of the main terrace is revetted by a strongly battered, 20m long continuation of the upper terrace's E wall; it varies in height, rising to a maximum of 6.4m midway along its length. At E, where it forms a sharp angle with the terrace's SE revetment wall, it is built on a very large outcrop of rock. For approximately 8m on either side of this angle its face has collapsed to its basal courses, where the wall averages 3m in thickness. The SE retaining wall is 32m in overall length and up to 4.3m high. At the breach at its NE end the technique used in constructing its face is visible as large slabs laid at right angles to the course of the wall. A stretch of different construction occurs below St Michael's Church [KE104A001042-]; this represents the OPW repairs carried out in 1891, which were noted by Romilly Allen (1892, 284) and Westropp (1897, 313). There are also indications of repair work between here and the SE end of the wall, where a lintelled entrance to the main terrace occurs. This entrance is approached by a short flight of steps which ascends from the flagged pathway where the E flight and the steps ascending from Christ's Valley converge. The SW side of the uncovered entrance passage has been excavated and shown to be of nineteenth century date; it may have been built when the lighthouse personnel were living in the monastery. From the entrance a 47m long wall runs to SW and features a rectangular tower which had a gabled roof. This tower is a latrine of nineteenth century date' (O'Sullivan and Sheehan 1996, 280-3, no. 948 (1))

Compiled by: Elizabeth Byrne, Ursula Egan and Sheila Ronan, Archaeological Survey Unit, University College, Cork.

Revised by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of revised upload: 11 March 2022

References

Westropp, T.J. 1897 Descriptive sketch of places visited. Part 1. Scattery Island and Canons' island, Co. Clare. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 27, 273-90.

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

Allen, J. Romilly 1892 Notes on the antiquities in Co. Kerry visited by the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland and the Cambrian Archaeological Association, August 1891, Parts 1 and 2. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 22, 158-70; 255-84.

Lynch, A. 1988 Sceillig Mhichíl, Skellig Rock Great: early Christian monastic site. In I. Bennett (ed.), Excavations 1987: summary accounts of archaeological excavations in Ireland, 17-18. Dublin. Organisation of Irish Archaeologists.

Lynch, A. 1987 Sceillig Mhichíl, Skellig Rock Great: early Christian monastic site. In C. Cotter (ed.), Excavations 1986: summary accounts of archaeological excavations in Ireland, 21. Dublin. Organisation of Irish Archaeologists.