Man-made underground passage in Cill Mhic An Domhnaigh

Calluragh Burial ground (KE052-105001-) /An Cheallúnach: Situated on the lower E slopes of Mount Eagle, this oval enclosure contains within it the remains of a clochaun, a possible Man-made underground passage and a cross-slab. A 2nd cross slab was listed at the site by Crawford (1912, 235), and Curran (no.4) recorded the discovery of 2 quernstones here but the present whereabouts of these is not known. Another cross-slab (KE052-106----) stands against the E side of a field fence c. 45m to SE of the site. Souterrain (KE052-105004-): Curran was locally informed of a Man-made underground passage which led to the clochaun. Both Curran and Macalister noted the presence of a 5.4m long stony ridge known locally as the grave of Daire Donn or Leaba Mhic Donn, Leaba Dháire or Leacht Dháire and this they interpreted as the probable remains of the Man-made underground passage. It is not clear to what feature on the site this refers, though its location on Macalister's plan appears to correspond with the low bank here interpreted as the remains of the dividing wall marked on the 1st edition of the OS map. The W end of this latter feature is linked to the clochaun by a stony ridge, no more than .35m high, and perhaps it is this to which they refer. Near the centre of this ridge are 2 stones set on edge in an E-W line; these may be gravemarkers or part of a grave. The above description is derived from J. Cuppage, ‘Corca Dhuibhne. Dingle Peninsula archaeological survey. Ballyferriter. Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne’ (1986), no. 860. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 8 August 2013