Souterrain

The National Monuments Service's description

The following description is derived from both the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Louth' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1986) and the 'Archaeological Survey of County Louth' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1991). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.
Date of upload/revision: 17 July 2007

Located in modern Church of Ireland graveyard, probably within the bounds of the Early Christian monastic site. The souterrain was discovered during grave-digging in 1988. It consisted of two passages and two beehive chambers, drystone-built throughout. Modern entry was gained by displacement of a lintel in a beehive chamber (diam. 3m, H 2m). An air-vent led off ESE from midway up the wall of this chamber. Passage 1 (L 3.1m, H 1.2m, Wth 1m) led off NW from the chamber and ended in a second beehive chamber (diam. 3m, H 2m) with apparent recapping at the apex of the dome. A second passage (L 6.2m, H 1.1m, Wth 1m) extends from this chamber to the NE, where it is blocked by fill. This point is probably close to the original entrance, which may have been of the drop-hole type. Now inaccessible. (Carroll 1988, 44-5)

References

Carroll, F. and Murphy, D. 1987 A second souterrain at Termonfeckin. County Louth Archaeological and Historical Journal, vol. 21, No. 3, 287-9.