Cave in Killuragh

The saved account records: Killuragh Cave is one of a series of small caves that penetrate a limestone reef overlooking the river (Thomas 1995, 72).

The saved account records: During these investigations, a fragment of a possible stone axe, a flint hollow scraper, fragments of unworked chert, a sherd of Late Bronze age pottery, animal bones and 64 human bones were recovered.

The saved account records: Animal bones, 16 human bones and a flint blade were recovered in addition to a Giant Irish deer bone.

The saved account records: A series of disturbed deposits were encountered in the chamber opposite the terminus of Entrance Passage 1 including a human mandible which returned an Early Bronze Age date of 3775 ±45BP (OxA6748) and a horse sacrum of later Bronze Age date: 3020 ±45BP (OxA6754).

Cave in Killuragh matters because material evidence was found or examined here, allowing the place to answer questions that its name alone cannot. The source records: A concentration of Neolithic dog bones occurred beneath a layer of stones at the opening of Entrance Passage 1 while several human teeth, a microlith and a flint blade were recovered from the fissure itself (Woodman 1997, 67-8). The examination or finds give physical evidence for date, use or human activity rather than leaving the account as guesswork.