Man-made underground passage in Com Dhíneol Thuaidh

Macalister (1899, 280) recorded a Man-made underground passage amongst a group of monuments in the S corner of one of the large rough fields that lie upslope of the main modern field system. It was described as more than 6 ft (1.8m) long with a well-built door but not then accessible. The monuments (KE052-064----) are actually located in the centre of the field. The south-westernmost feature consists of 2 parallel lines of walling, at least 2m long and .7m apart, running ESE-WNW across the steep mountain slope. The NE side is constructed of drystone masonry, .75m high; the SW side is defined by a single upright slab, .65m high, and by a line of collapsed stones. The E end is closed by a single course of drystone walling while the W end is open and may have extended further. Several slabs, possibly lintels, are strewn both within and without the structure. It is possible that this represents the ruined remains of the Man-made underground passage noted in 1899 or it may simply be a ruined sheep-shelter or some such structure. The above description is derived from J. Cuppage, ‘Corca Dhuibhne. Dingle Peninsula archaeological survey. Ballyferriter. Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne’ (1986), no. 756. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 7 August 2013