Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Souterrain
Rockfield (Carra By.), County Mayo, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Rockfield (Carra By.)
- County
- Mayo
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Cave
- Latest-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Coordinates
- 53.89012, -9.22827
- SMR number
- MA070-131002-
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
4 historical maps cover this location, the earliest the 1753 map "Mappa geographica Regni Hiberniae" (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
Historical maps covering this location
- 1753 · Mappa geographica Regni Hiberniae (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1790 · Composite: Ireland. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1869 · Ireland. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1891 · Ireland 16 (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗
The National Monuments Service's description
In a rath (MA070-131001-)
This souterrain is indicated as ‘Cave’ in the NE quadrant of the rath on the 1838 OS 6-inch map; it is not shown on later map editions.
When inspected in 2021, an opening into the souterrain was located in a copse of hazel and hawthorn in the SE qudarant of the ringfort. A lintel-roofed creep (L 3.2m NNE/SSW; Wth 0.7m; H 0.9m) leads down into a chamber. The chamber (4.8m NNE-SSW; W 2.7m; H 2.0m) is of drystone construction with a corbelled roof. The floor is strewn with loose rubble. A recess/niche (W 0.36m; H 0.36m; D 1.85m) is built into the wall at a height of 0.78m above the floor level at the NNE end of the chamber. Immediately to W of the recess there is an lintelled opening (W 0.56m; H 0.56m) at a height of 0.36m above floor level into a passage, which extends to NNE but is partly collapsed. (Pers. comm. Richard Crumlish).
Attached images are provided courtesy of Richard Crumlish:
MA070-131002-_01.JPG Entrance to souterrain
MA070-131002-_02.JPG Rubble-strewn interior of chamber
MA070-131003-_03.JPG Opening into passage at NNE end of chamber, with wall recess above it at R.
Compiled by: Jane O’Shaughnessy
Date of upload: 13 August 2021
Nearby in the register
- Ringfort - unclassifiedunder 1 mi
- Fulacht fiaunder 1 mi
- Ringfort - rathunder 1 mi
- Fulacht fiaunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.