Man-made underground passage in Carrowgarve South

In a rath (MA038-022001-). This drystone-built Man-made underground passage consists of at least three subrectangular chambers, each with its long axis on a different orientation, all interconnected by short creepways. The current access is through a surface opening/area of collapse (c. 2m NW–SE; c. 2m NE–SW) located close to the bank at SSW in the rath interior. It gives onto a short, narrow creepway (Wth 0.56m; H 0.56m) which opens into the SE end of a stone-built chamber (5.3m NW–SE; 1.9m NE–SW; H 1.3m). This chamber (chamber 1), long axis NW-SE, is rectangular in plan, with slightly rounded corners. The walls are constructed of large stones and boulders, roughly coursed; the uppermost two courses are slightly corbelled and support a roof of massive lintel slabs. The floor is covered with compacted earth and loose stone rubble, and slopes down toward the NW end of the chamber. At the NW end, a low, narrow earthen platform (1.2m NW–SE), edged with stones, spans the full width of the NW wall, fronting a narrow lintelled opening (H 1.6m) to a creep located in the middle of the wall. The creep consists of a short passage which curves to the N, opening into the SE corner of another chamber (chamber 2) (5.05m N–S; 2m E–W; H c. 1.2m). Chamber 2 is orientation N-S, rectangular in plan with rounded corners and is of similar construction to the chamber I. The S end of the chamber is strewn with heaps of earth and loose stones, and the floor slopes up from there towards the N end. At floor level in the rounded NE corner, there is a lintelled opening (Wth 0.66m; H 0.44m) into a creep (L 1.4m), which opens into the W end of a third chamber (Wth 1.4m N–S; H 1m at W end). Chamber 3 is of similar construction to the other two, but is noticeably narrower and the ceiling is lower, with a floor that slopes upwards toward the E end. It extends to the E for 1.7m, at which point there is an impassable blockage of earthen collapse, which rises to within 0.3-0.4m of the roof lintels. It is clear, however, that the chamber continues for at least a few meters to E beyond the blockage. Compiled by: Jane O'Shaughnessy Date of upload: 24 July 2019