Cave in Ballyteige East

Situated in the N sector of a rath (CL017-106----). Labelled ‘Cave’ on the OS 25-inch plan (1893) and later, Cassini edition (1920) of the OS 6-inch map. This two-chambered Man-made underground passage is L-shaped in plan with one chamber aligned NW-SE and the second chamber running perpendicularly to its SW. Current access is from the SE end where an overgrown clay-floored ramp (L 1.1m; Wth 1.1m) leads down to the NW to a narrow entrance (Wth 0.5m) to a rectangular chamber (L 9.1m NW-SE; max. Wth 1.8m; max. H 1.65m). The chamber has vertical walls built mainly of small stones (Westropp 1913, 236) with larger stones at the base and with one course of corbels at the top supporting fourteen large roof lintels. A pile of stones lies against the SW sidewall. Towards the N end of the SW sidewall, a small creep allows access to the second chamber which runs perpendicularly to the SW. The creep opening (Wth 0.5m, H 0.65m) at floor level has a large lintel (L 1.25m; H 0.3m) and leads into a narrow creepway (1m NE-SW) with three sidestones on each side. There is an earthen mound at the SW end of the creepway, which is not collapse and may be part of the original design. Above this mound is a narrow trap opening (1.15m NE-SW; 0.75-0.9m NW-SE; max. H 0.6m) the top edges of which are recessed (0.1m), perhaps to take a wooden trapdoor. The trap leads up into the NE end of the second chamber (L 8.2m NE-SW; max. Wth 1.85m; max. H 1.75m; H 0.9m over top of trap). The chamber walls have larger stones at their base and top, where a single course of corbels supports ten roof lintels. A small rectangular opening (H 0.2m; Wth 0.2m) at the N end of the SE wall is an air-vent which curves slightly to the S (traceable L 2m). The vent appears to be unlined but may originally have been lined by timbers. A large triangular stone is set into the base of the chamber wall at its SW end and a large stone lies on the chamber floor.