Man-made underground passage in Baile An Chnocáin (tc Cill Chuain)

Situated on the lower W slopes of Brandon mountain, circular cashel KE034-022---- contains the remains of at least 7 stone huts and a Man-made underground passage. (1) A circular hut KE034-022001- lying NE of centre and measuring 4.8m x 4.4m internally. The wall stands to a maximum height of 1.65m internally and 2.25m externally but the upper courses, 1.1m of the outer face and .45m of the inner face, represent later rebuilding. A break in the wall at E may simply be due to collapse of the wall here, but there is a lintelled entrance at W, now partly blocked by collapse. This is .59m wide and .76m high above present ground level. A lintelled recess at the base of the wall, a little S of the entrance, marks the well entrance to a Man-made underground passage which is not now accessible. The lintel also forms the base of a wall-cupboard, and a 2nd wall cupboard overlies this again. A similar wall-cupboard occurs .42m above present ground level, a little N of the entrance. It is .5m wide x .4m high x .5m deep. The above description is derived from J. Cuppage, ‘Corca Dhuibhne. Dingle Peninsula archaeological survey. Ballyferriter. Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne’ (1986), no. 538. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 7 August 2013