Souterrain

The National Monuments Service's description

Recorded by C. Ní Lionáin in excavating (17E0242) the passage tomb (ME020-098----) under Dowth Hall. About 7m NW of Tomb 2 a cut in the cairn material (dims 2.6m NNW-SSE; 1.5m ENE-WSW; D 0.48m) was lined on each side except the S with drystone walling which is the drop-down entry to a passage (L 2.05m plus; Wth 0.7m) that had been provided with a clay floor with a step at S before running into unexcavated ground. The passage was filled with rounded stones in a brown silty sand beneath a yellow brown silt. The souterrain extended into the chamber of tomb 2 and was responsible for the drystone walling on its N side (Ní Lionáin 2022). (Ní Lionáin 2021, 55)

See the attached view of the passage at Tomb 2 looking NW by Ken Williams;

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload: 12 October 2022

References

Ní Lionáin, C. 2022 Remembering a long-lost Monument. Archaeology Ireland, vol. 36, 3. No. 141

Ní Lionáin, C. 2021 Monitoring and Testing of Phase 1 Groundworks at Dowth Hall, Co. Meath. Licence: 17E0242. Preliminary unpublished report, Devenish