Souterrain

The National Monuments Service's description

Located on a gentle S-facing slope with a W-E section of the Devlin River c. 50m to the S. This souterrain was first identified in the W face of a gravel quarry in December 1939. When a beehive chamber partially collapsed in June 1946 a measured plan was made by the owner’s son, Peter Fleming, which was forwarded by the Gardaí in Slane to the National Museum of Ireland (NMI file). It had an entrance passage (L 1.2m E-W; Wth 0.8m) that was blocked at its W end but at E it opened into a N-S passage (L 12.2m) that extended a little way N of the entrance passage but at its S end it entered a beehive chamber (diam. 3m; H 2.5m) that had an air-vent 1.7m over the floor extending S (L 1.4m plus). The entrance (Wth of base 0.75m; Wth of top 0.6m; H 1.1m) to this chamber was lintelled and had large boulders at the bottom. Back along the passage (4.2m) another passage (Wth 0.8m; H 0.65m) extended E (L 4.4m) leading to a smaller beehive chamber (diam. 2.8m) that had partially collapsed. This chamber was entered from the passage through a lintelled doorway (Wth of base 0.6m; Wth of top 0.45m; H 1.2m). The souterrain was closed at this time.

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 Moore

Date of upload: 10 July 2007

References

NMI file - Topographical files of the National Museum of Ireland. Unpublished