Cave

In a rath (MA062-087001-). A Man-made underground passage is indicated on the 1837 and 1919 OS 6-inch maps as ‘Cave’ in the S half of the rath. There is a cavity (max. dim. c. 1m at top; D 1.2m) close to the enclosing scarp at the S edge of the rath interior. At the time of visit this was blocked by wooden pallet. On the N side of the cavity, at a depth of 0.8m below the surface, an opening to a stone-built passage can be seen. The opening is roofed by a stone lintel which rests on side walls constructed of large boulders. The passage extends through the interior to N. An area of surface subsidence, partly caused by animal burrows, located c. 5m to N may follow the line of the passage; a large stone slab visible in one of the burrows may be a lintel. Compiled by: Jane O’Shaughnessy Date of upload: 7 December 2020