Man-made underground passage in Bunduff

Not indicated on any edition of the OS 6-inch map. A Man-made underground passage was discovered in 1954 at or in proximity to a possible levelled cashel (SL003-019001-). The monument was visited by an OPW fieldworker in the same year (SMR file). His report reads:'Man-made underground passage of gallery type. Drystone walls. Slab roof. Two chambers accessible. At present entered through roof of chamber broken in removing stones by Co. Council workmen. Chamber 1 (that through which it is now entered) measures approximately 10m feet 6 in. [3.2m] in length (probably longer, slightly curved). Upper courses of side walls corbelled. Height about 5 ft. [1.5m] but original floor level probably lower. Small doorway blocked with earth on either side of chamber 1. Chamber 2 lies in a straight line with chamber 1 and is entered from it by a low passage, through which it is possible to crawl by going flat on one's face. Chamber 2 is of similar construction to chamber 1. Its visible length is about 16 ft. [4.9m], but it is half-filled with a mass of earth and stones sloping down in a sort of ramp from the far end, representing a possible former entrance. Chamber 2 is a little less than 6 ft. [1.8m]in width. Maximum height about 5ft [1.5m] at present. Chamber 2 has an air shaft, a little over 1 ft square, slab-lined, leading towards the surface over the roof of chamber 1. The top of another air-shaft, apparently ventilating the sealed chamber on right of chamber 1 from the present entrance, has been exposed.' In a report to the NMI the fieldworker also recorded 'occupation (burned stones, iron slag, charcoal, burnt stone) on the floor of Chamber 1' (NMI topographical file). In 1962 a fragment of a decorated rotary quern (SL003-019003-), now in the National Museum, was recovered from the Man-made underground passage (Lucas 1964, 98-100). No trace of the Man-made underground passage is now visible at ground level. Compiled by: Patrick F. O'Donovan Date of upload: 21 April 2011