Souterrain

The National Monuments Service's description

On the summit of a hill in undulating terrain. The souterrain was identified during the construction of the Cork-Dublin gas pipeline. It was noted to be within the W half of a previously unrecorded, levelled ringfort (TS082-045001-) (Hurley 1987, 65). The souterrain (L 16m) consisted of three chambers running from E to W, all sub-rectangular in plan (L 2.4m x Wth 2m x H 0.6m; L 3m x Wth 1.77m x H 1.8m; L 2.6m x Wth 2.25m x H 1.8m), connected by narrow creepways (ibid. 66-8). The chambers were of dry-stone walling construction, built of roughly coursed limestone, with corbelled roofs capped by large stone slabs (ibid.). There were two separate entrances, facing N and E respectively, which led to one entrance passage (Wth 0.7m; H 0.6-1m) (ibid.). Finds included a polished bone point, part of a bronze ringed-pin and a small quantity of animal bones (ibid 68-70).

Hurley, M. F. 1987 'Garryntemple, Grange, Co. Tipperary'. In Cleary, R. M.; Hurley, M. F. and Twohig, E. A. (eds) Archaeological excavations on the Cork-Dublin gas pipeline (1981-82). Department of Archaeology, University College Cork.
Compiled by: Jean Farrelly

Date of upload: 26 August 2011

References

Hurley, M.F. 1987d Garryntemple, Grange, Co. Tipperary. In R.M. Cleary, et al. (eds), Excavations on the Cork-Dublin gas pipeline (1981-2), 65-70. Cork. Department of Archaeology, University College Cork.