Souterrain

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on a col with slightly lower ground to the NW, NE and SE and higher ground to the SW, but the exact location is not known. A rath (ME005-111001-) and souterrain were partially excavated (92E0052) in Cormeen as part of a Bord Gáis Eireann pipeline from Dunleer, Co. Louth, to Mullagh, Co. Cavan. All features were truncated and only survived in the subsoil. A souterrain was exposed as a trench (L 10.3m; Wth 0.8m at the entrance to 2.5m at W) associated with gullies and post-holes within the rath. The souterrain was an undifferentiated passage with three steps leading to the entrance at E. It might never have been completed and was backfilled with re-deposited natural clay with charcoal flecks (max. D 2.6m at W). There was no silt on the floor, and the uppermost fill was rich in charcoal. (McConway 1992; McConway and Halpin 1992)

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload: 6 September 2018

References

McConway, L. and Halpin, E. 1992 Cormeen: Souterrain and rath. In I. Bennett (ed.) Excavations 1992: summary accounts of archaeological excavations in Ireland, 50, No. 150. Bray, Wordwell

McConway, L. 1992 Excavations at Cormeen, Co. Meath. Unpublshed report, Archaeological Development Services, Dublin