What is recorded here

No trace remains of the small stone-walled passage with its flagstone roof, though Allingham recorded it in a level pasture outside Kilbarron old church in 1879. Modern trenches cut through that same field for new houses, yet they struck only sterile clay and bedrock, leaving the ancient structure vanished without even a broken potsherd to mark its absence.

There is no trace of the Man-made underground passage recorded here which lay in a level field of rough pasture outside Kilbarron old church. It was of small dimensions and the sides were constructed of small stones. The roof was of flagstones. (Allingham 1879, 110) Pre-development testing was carried out by Richard Crumlish under licence No. 07E0280 on 1 and 2 November 2005 at three adjacent sites (NGR 18522/36506) in advance of their development at Kilbarron townland, Ballyshannon, Co. Donegal. The proposed development, the construction of three dwelling houses with septic tanks and percolation areas, was within the constraint area for an enclosure site and Man-made underground passage. No archaeological features were visible within the three proposed development sites. Eight trenches were excavated. These measured between 10.6m and 60m long, 0.9-1.2m wide and 0.1-0.85m deep. A number of sections of various trenches were not excavated, due to them being inundated with water from two grass-covered drains that crossed the site. Below the topsoil were sterile natural subsoils (grey/orange/cream/brown plastic sandy clay, orange/brown/grey/cream plastic silty clay, orange/grey/brown friable sandy loam) and bedrock. No artefacts were uncovered. Nothing of archaeological significance was revealed (Excavations Bulletin 2005) Pre-development testing was carried out by Richard Crumlish under licence No. 07E0280 on 12 April 2007 at a site (NGR 1852/3651) in Kilbarron townland, Ballyshannon, Co. Donegal. The proposed development, the construction of a house, was located within the archaeological constraint for a cashel site, an enclosure site and Man-made underground passage in an overgrown pasture field. The testing consisted of the excavation (by machine) of five trenches, which measured 34.4m, 13.3m, 19.6m, 30.5m and 21.3m long respectively, 0.9–1.5m wide and 0.1–1.7m deep. Below the modern fill and topsoil were orange/brown plastic sandy clay, bedrock, orange/grey/brown friable sandy silt loam, orange/grey/brown firm clay and grey/orange/brown firm sandy clay loam. The fill contained several modern pottery sherds, concrete and plastic. The topsoil contained modern pottery sherds. A modern plastic land drain crossed one of the trenches. The testing revealed, with the exception of the fill in one of the trenches, evidence of natural undisturbed stratigraphy and nothing of archaeological significance (Bennett 2010, 79). The above description was derived from the 'Archaeological Survey of County Donegal. A description of the field antiquities of the County from the Mesolithic Period to the 17th century.' Compiled by: Brian Lacey with Eamon Cody, Claire Cotter, Judy Cuppage, Noel Dunne, Vincent Hurley, Celie O'Rahilly, Paul Walsh and Seán Ó Nualláin (Lifford: Donegal County Council, 1983). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated. Compiled by Caimin O'Brien Date of upload/revision: 18 November 2011

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.