Cave in Glenballythomas, County Roscommon

This remains an important historical record, but the official description says the monument is no longer visible or has been destroyed. The monument record does not grant public access. Check the route and ask the landowner before entering private land.

What is recorded here

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On the S-facing slope of Rathcroghan plateau, inside earthwork (RO022-057028-). It was considered to be the entrance to the underworld, and the residence of Morrigan, a pagan goddess of war, as well as being the dwelling of magical pigs, cats and other animals and spirits who emerged at Samhain or Halloween, the feast of the dead. (Gormley 1989b, 12-14) A stone-built and lintelled passage (dims 10.5m NNW-SSE; 0.75-1.4m; H 1-1.8m) of a Man-made underground passage (RO022-057029-) is partly rock-cut and descends from the blocked entrance at SE to a natural cave (dims 37m NNW-SSE; Wth of base c. 0.7-2.5m; max. H c. 7m). A second passage which joins the main passage close to the blocked entrance is now destroyed in its central part but allows access to the main passage through a short section (Wth 1.35m; H 0.9m) aligned ENE-WSW (L 2m), which serves as the present entrance to the whole structure. The original end of this passage is preserved as an inaccessible undifferentiated passage end (dims c. 1.5m x 1.5m) in the field bank c. 3m W of the present entrance to Oweynagat, although this has been interpreted as a separate Man-made underground passage (Waddell et al. 2009, 81-3). There is an ogham stone (RO022-057030-) at the junction of the two passages, and another (RO022-057084-) is at the SE end of the main passage. (Herity 1983, 132; 1987a, 138, Glenballythomas 17; Waddell 1983, 33, No. 21; Waddell 1988, 13-4; Condit and Moore 2003) This is a National Monument in state ownership: No. 473 Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 24 August 2010

From the National Monuments Service (Archaeological Survey of Ireland) record RO022-057031

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Photo credits

Gillaween, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Maker not stated on source page, en.wikipedia.org
Davsca at English Wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 3.0
Sawyer777, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Maker not stated on source page, www.wikidata.org
Maker not stated on source page, heritageireland.ie
Willow, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.5
Maker not stated on source page, tr.pinterest.com
Maker not stated on source page, www.pac.ru
Maker not stated on source page, www.thejournal.ie
Maker not stated on source page, www.tuatha.ie

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