St Finans Cell

St Finan's Cell: This large drystone structure is located close to the W shore of the island and is connected to its E end by the causeway. Of rectangular plan, it measures 5.25m NE-SW x 4.9m NW-SE internally. Externally it has slightly bowed side-walls and rounded corners, and measures 9.25m NE-SW x 9.4m NW-SE. An entrance occurs at NE. A series of massive stones, probably derived from the lakeshore, were used in the construction of its walls. These average 2.25m in basal thickness and corbel gently inwards to the level of an external offset, .4m wide, which is preserved at a height of 2.2m along the end-walls. Thinner slabs were used above this level, where the walls corbel inwards more markedly to a maximum height of 3.1m. The doorway is located at the centre of the NE end-wall; it is trabeate, measures .95m in basal width, and, at a height of 1.4m, is roofed by three massive lintels. Above the level of the offset on both sides of the doorway is a lintelled ope, .35m x .15m, which penetrates the wall at an internal height of 2.6m. In the SW end-wall is a deep, lintelled ope, .6m high x .55m wide, which occurs just above internal ground level. The interior of the structure is partly subdivided by a substantial, and apparently modern, stone wall. A short stretch of similar walling abuts it externally at NW. See attached photograph courtesy of Amanda Clarke The above description is derived from O'Sullivan, A. and Sheehan, J. (compilers) 'The Iveragh peninsula: an archaeological survey of South Kerry'. Cork University press. (1996), no. 974. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 18 June 2013