Cave

In a rath (MA071-063001-). This Man-made underground passage is marked as ‘Cave’ in the NW quadrant of the rath on the 1838 and 1931 OS 6-inch maps. A sunken oblong hollow (5.5m NE−SW) lies adjacent to the rath scarp at NW. This is a collapsed Man-made underground passage chamber or passage. The subsidence slumps down toward the NE end of the hollow where an intact drystone wall is exposed. The wall (H 2m) describes a gently curve N−E in plan, suggesting that it is the intact NE end of the oblong chamber (Wth 2m). It is constructed of ten courses of large stone blocks, gently corbelled towards the top to support a roof lintel. The top of the wall underlies a layer of sod and topsoil (D 0.3m). An E−W row of four large prostrate slabs lies embedded in the ground surface 6m to S, these may be roof lintels –possibly displaced. There is a slight hollow in ground surface adjacent to the eastern-most stone. Compiled by: Jane O’Shaughnessy Date of upload: 6 August 2021