Souterrain in Kilkeran

In pasture, on a SW-facing slope. This souterrain was discovered in 1997 when the ground collapsed revealing an opening (diam. c. 0.6m). This opening gave access to the S end of a roughly rectangular chamber (c. 0.9m E-W; c. 3.5m N-S; H c. 1m). The chamber was constructed of drystone-walling; the walling rose vertically for c. 0.6m and then inclined inwards for the remaining c. 0.3m. The roof of the chamber was formed of stone lintels of which 5 remained in situ; the lintels had all collapsed in the area of the accidental opening and the N end of the chamber had also collapsed. At the SE corner of this chamber an earth-cut creepway (Wth c. 0.4m; L c. 0.5m) gave access to a second chamber. This roughly rectangular (c. 3.6m N-S; c. 1.1m E-W) earth-cut chamber had a domed roof (H c. 0.9m). Part of its roof had collapsed at the N end and its S end was formed by a sloping surface of rough earth; this latter is the likely position of the original entrance. Stone facing at the N end of the W side of this second chamber indicates the position of the construction shaft. The above description is derived from 'The Archaeological Inventory of County Cork. Volume 5' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2009). Date of upload: 22 December 2009