What is recorded here
Under the Dún Na Manach ramp, two stone chambers branch and bend through dark earth. The first passage slopes upward toward a narrow northern gap, then a crevice in its south wall leads into a second chamber that turns south before disappearing under fill. The fort above watches Dingle Bay through a broken earthen bank, but the hidden rooms suggest the site was never only a boundary marker.
Internal diam. 22.8m
A circular univallate rath and Man-made underground passage situated on a slight S facing slope overlooking Dingle Bay. The earthen enclosing bank reaches a maximum height of 2m at SW. In the E quadrant, the bank has been replaced by a later field wall. The gaps at NE and S appear to be secondary features, and a 3rd gap at NW may be the original entrance; it is 1.5m wide.
The entrance to the Man-made underground passage lies directly inside the bank at N and gives access to 2 passages, linked by a short creepway. Passage 1 measures 3m N-S x 1m E-W x a maximum of .8m in height. The walls are constructed of low upright stones overlain by drystone masonry and the roof is formed by 6 large slabs. The floor slopes upwards towards the entrance gap which spans the width of the N end of the passage and is .32m high. The entrance to the 2nd passage occurs in the S wall of passage 1 and consists of a short creepway, defined on either side by an upright slab and roofed by a single lintel. It is .5m wide and .5m high. Passage 2 extends SW for c. 2m and then turns S for at least 1.5m before being blocked by fill. Apart from 2 upright slabs in the E wall, the wall is entirely of drystone construction, and the passage is roofed by 7 slabs at a maximum height of .65m above the floor.
The above description is derived from J. Cuppage, ‘Corca Dhuibhne. Dingle Peninsula archaeological survey. Ballyferriter. Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne’ (1986), no. 392. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.
Date of upload: 13 August 2013
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- What survives
- Recorded monument
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