Souterrain

The National Monuments Service's description

Souterrain in NE quadrant of bivallate ringfort (LI048-034016-) excavated by Ó Ríordáin (1940, 128-132) between 1934-5. Souterrain described by Ó Ríordáin (1940, 113) as follows; 'In dealing with the various evidences of habitation of the fort a sequence of events was suggested. It is difficult to be sure what is the chronological relationship between the houses and the souterrain which was uncovered on the north-east of the fort. It seems likely that the souterrain was earlier than the wooden houses represented by the dark bands of charcoal. That the souterrain was, however, certainly earlier than at least one of the burials (Burial No. 1 [LI048-034017-]) is shown by the fact that the souterrain was partly filled with and covered by the reddish layer of sand and clay, upon which lay the bed of charcoal which evidently represented the remains for the fire used for cremation purposes and in which lay the cordoned urn Burial No. 1 [LI048-034017-].
The structure of the souterrain was different from that of the other examples discovered during the excavation in being composed of two long compartments connected by a narrow passage somewhat over 2 feet [0.6m] in length and having an effective breadth of 1 foot and 8 inches [0.5m] and a height of about 2 feet [0.6m]. The southern compartment of the souterrain had a length of 10 feet [3.04m] and a breadth of 3½ feet [1.06m]. At the north-eastern corner was a passage through the wall formed by the omission of stones at the floor of the structure so as to leave an opening 11 inches [0.27m] in width and 1 foot 3 inches [0.37m] in height. This could not have been used as an entrance or exist passage because not only is the opening extremely small but outside it is the solid rock cut back to some extent but not sufficiently to allow of the opening being used as a means of entrance and exit. It is therefore evident that we have to do with another such vent as has been mentioned in the case of several other souterrains, though in this instance we find the vent near the floor and not, as in the other examples, near the roof. Because of the way in which the rock was cut so as to slope upwards from the floor level to the outer end of the opening, the latter could not have been used for drainage purposes.’

See attached plans and photos from Ó Ríordáin.

Compiled by: Fiona Rooney

Date of upload: 5 September 2021

References

Ó Ríordáin, S.P. 1940 Excavations at Cush, Co. Limerick (1934 and 1935). Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 45, 83-181.