What is recorded here

Coolekeerane is a quiet village in north Cork where a hidden stone chamber still breathes beneath the ground. Men broke through the first passage in 1875 while cutting a road through the old ringfort, but they destroyed what they found. Decades later, builders opened a second chamber on the opposite side of the road and left it intact beneath a yard. The two holes may still belong to one forgotten passage, waiting under ordinary feet to be walked again.

In ringfort (CO039-00101-). Bowman (1934, 308) and Broker (1937, 47) recorded discovery of a Man-made underground passage during making of a road through N side of ringfort in 1875. According to Bowman (ibid.) and local tradition, this Man-made underground passage was destroyed. Stone-lined chamber roofed with large slabs was subsequently discovered c. 1976 during building of yard within ringfort and on S side of road. This was left intact and covered in. To N of road, on N side of inner bank of ringfort, opening reveals stone-built chamber (L c. 2m; max. Wth c. 1m; H 0.4m) which becomes higher and wider further inwards. Possibly all parts of single extensive Man-made underground passage. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Cork. Volume 4: North Cork' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2000). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload/revision: 14 January 2009

This remains an important historical record, but the official description says the monument is no longer visible or has been destroyed. The monument record does not grant public access. Check the route and ask the landowner before entering private land.