Man-made underground passage in Donaghmore (ratoath By.)

Located on a slight rise overlooking the Broad Meadow River which is c. 30m distant to the N and changes direction here from a NW-SE course to a SW-NE one. The Man-made underground passage was initially discovered in a sandpit in 1956, and it was reported locally at the time that extended inhumations had also been present. The Man-made underground passage was described hurriedly by staff from the National Museum of Ireland before much of it was removed (NMI file). It consisted of an upper E-W passage (Wth at base 1.2m; H 1.4m; L 8.6m) with corbelled walls and a lintelled roof. It was blocked at the W end but a trapdoor (dims 0.9m N-S; 0.8m E-W) with a recess for a closing stone in the floor at its E end gave access to a short W-E passage (Wth at base 1m; H 0.9m; L 1.75m) at a lower level. The E end of this passage met another lintelled passage (Wth 1m; H 1m; total L 4.9m) at a right angle. This extended S (L 0.8m) and N (L 3.1m) before it was blocked by collapse at both ends. Archaeological testing (05E0541) by G. McLoughlin c. 200m to the NE, on the other side of the stream, produced no related material (excavation.ie 2005:1241; 2007:1250). (Feeley 2001, 37, No. 17, 39-40, No. 23; Cahill & Sikora 2011, vol. 2, 502) The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Meath' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1987). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 10 July 2007 Amended: 17 December 2021