Souterrain in Curravordy

In pasture, on a S-facing slope in a field known as 'The Lawn' c. 260m to the SW of Mount Pleasant House. This souterrain was discovered in 2004 when the ground collapsed. The opening, which resulted from the collapse, was extended by machine prior to investigation. It gave access to a possible chamber (Wth 1.1m; H 0.9m) 0.4m under the present ground level. This contained a possible construction shaft blocked with stones though it is also possible that the feature may have resulted from backfilling a previous collapse which, according to local information, occurred in the 1970s. The souterrain consists of at least three other chambers. Chamber 2 (2m NE-SW; 1.5m NW-SE; H 1.1m) is oval in plan and stone-built and is entered via a lintelled entrance in its NE end. The walls of this chamber are lined with 13 upright stones (H 0.9m; Wth 0.4-0.6m; T 0.15m). Some packing of earth and small stones was noted behind them. On top of the upright stones are four courses of corbelling capped by a single large stone. A lintelled passage (Wth 0.3-0.6m; H 0.9m; L 1.75m) in the SW end of chamber 1 leads to chamber 3. There is a kerbstone at the SW end of the passage where it leads into chamber 3. Chamber 3 (min. 3m E-W; c. 1m N-S; min. H 1m) is oval in plan and earth-cut and is c. 0.3m below the level of chamber 2. A blocked-up construction shaft is evident in its W end and beside it at SW a passage (L c. 1m; Wth 0.5m) leads into chamber 4. Water, presumably from a spring well, flows down the walls of chamber 3. Chamber 4 (c. 2m N-S; min. 1m E-W; H c. 1m) is earth-cut and has a flat roof. A blocked-up construction shaft is evident at NE. The above description is derived from 'The Archaeological Inventory of County Cork. Volume 5' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2009). Date of upload: 22 December 2009