Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Souterrain
Drakestown, County Meath, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Drakestown
- County
- Meath
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Latest-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Coordinates
- 53.77445, -6.72540
- SMR number
- ME012-026002-
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
Shown on 4 historical map sheets, the earliest the 1636 "Vltoniae Orientalis Pars" (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗
The National Monuments Service's description
Situated at the NW summit of what was a small NW-SE ridge (L c. 150m) and within the earthwork enclosure (ME0123-026001-). When the earthwork was a destroyed in 1933 a souterrain was discovered 7 feet (c. 2m) below ground level that was reported to the Gardaí in Kells. They described it in correspondence with the National Museum of Ireland as a beehive chamber ’12 feet (c. 3.65m) wide and 6 feet (c. 1.8m) high’ with a passage ’15 yards long (L c. 14m) extending from it (NMI file). Some artefacts including what is described as an axehead and a fragment of a bone comb were recovered. After examination the souterrain was then closed. There was no visible evidence of this monument in 1968 (SMR file).
The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Meath' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1987). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.
Compiled by: Michael Moroe
Date of upload: 10 July 2007
Amended: 2 August 2022
References
NMI file - Topographical files of the National Museum of Ireland. Unpublished
Nearby in the register
- Enclosureunder 1 mi
- Earthworkunder 1 mi
- Castle - motteunder 1 mi
- Souterrainunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.