Souterrain — Rockfield (clanmorris By.)

Located in a rath (MA092-062001). The souterrain of drystone construction, indicated as ‘Souterrain’ on the 1917 OS 6-inch maps, has three interconnecting chambers in a roughly N-S line, one at N now collapsed and two to S of that still intact, and there is evidence that other chambers/passages may exist. It is currently accessed through a collapsed oval chamber (Wth 1.6m; H 1.37m) which is located immediately outside the external face of the inner bank on the N side of the rath. The N part of the chamber is greatly ruined and the lintel roofing has been removed. The slightly corbelled walls of the S half of the chamber are largely intact and a single roof lintel remains in situ at the S end. At floor level at the S end of the chamber, there is a lintelled opening (Wth 0.58m; H 0.44m) into a creep-way (L 0.6m) giving access to the N end of a second chamber. The creep-way is short, flanked on each side by a single upright flag, and is positioned beneath the inner bank of the rath. The second chamber (L 4.8m NNE–SSW; Wth 1.8m; H 2.15m), oblong in plan with rounded corners, extends roughly southwards through the rath interior. The walls, rising from a basal course of larger stone block, are vertical for a height of c. 1m and above that are corbelled slightly to support a roof of large, overlapping lintels. In the NW corner of the chamber a heap of earth that has spilled into the chamber from a small opening (Wth 0.4m; H c. 0.2m) located about half way up the W wall. The disturbance here appears to be the result of animal burrowing, but it is possible that the opening represents a vent or shaft. At floor level in the SW corner of the chamber, there is a well constructed creep-way (L 0.95m; Wth 0.67m; H 0.8m) lined by two upright slabs on the W side and by three on the E side, and roofed with two lintels. It is funnel- or wedge-shaped, narrowing (Wth 0.38m) and reducing in height (H 0.54m) at its SSW end where it opens into the NE corner of a third chamber/ passage (L 7m N-S; Wth 1.85m; H 1.67m). The third chamber is on a roughly N–S axis, and is also oblong in plan with rounded corners, with a basal course of large slabs and boulders. Just below the lintel roof at the W end of the N wall, there is an opening (Wth 0.56m; H 0.5m) into a narrow passage or shaft which extends for c. 1.4m to NW on a slightly upward trajectory before becoming infilled with soil. The S end of the chamber is largely infilled with soil and scattered stones, and has been used as a fox den. The soil heap obscures the S wall of the chamber, but there is some indication that there may be further openings/creep-ways at both the W and E ends of that wall. According to local tradition, the souterrain consists of up to six interconnected chambers, and is said to extend beyond the rath to another entrance hole, now blocked up, located in the adjoining field to SE. Within the rath interior, several discrete areas of surface collapse, with large stones protruding through the sod, are visible at ground surface. These would appear to confirm that the souterrain extends both towards the bank at W and through the centre of the rath towards the bank at ESE. Compiled by: Jane O’Shaughnessy Date of upload: 10 May 2022