Souterrain

The National Monuments Service's description

Located within the SW quadrant of a rath (MA080-018----).
In the interior of the rath to SW of centre, there is a surface hole or void (0.3m x 0.15m) flanked at surface level by what appear to be two in situ lintels. This is probably part of a souterrain, and more than likely connects with the remains of a chamber of drystone construction which is located 10m to SW, exposed in the external face of the bank. A large upright boulder on the top of the bank directly above marks the location. The chamber is subcircular in plan (max. dim. c. 2m; H 0.8m) and is built into the bank at a height of c. 0.75m above exterior ground level. It is now open to the S where a section (L 1.2m E–W) of the S wall of the chamber has collapsed. A large, prostrate slab, probably a displaced lintel, now partly fills this gap. The curving W, N and E walls of the chamber remain intact and support two massive, overlapping lintel slabs. The E and W walls are constructed of 5-7 courses of rather large, rough horizontally laid stones, but the N wall is built of c. 10 courses of noticeably smaller, thinner slabs. There are two close-set openings leading from the chamber, one at the E end of the N wall, and one at the N end of the E wall. The opening (Wth 0.45m; current H 0.23m) in the N wall appears to lead to a creepway extending to N, now blocked with earth (this may link up with the cavity, mentioned above, located towards the centre of the rath). The opening (Wth c. 0.35m; H 0.15m) in the E wall extends to ESE, and is also blocked with soil. According to local information, the latter opening leads into a rectangular or square chamber, of better construction that the exposed chamber, which in turn is connected via a short creepway to a third, smaller, chamber.

Compiled by: Jane O’Shaughnessy

Date of upload: 26 November 2021