Three Kerry Souterrains.

THREE KERRY SOUTERRAINS EAMONN P. KELLY In April 1979 a number of souterrains was found in the Dingle peninsula., the discoveries resulting, in the main, from land reclama- tion work. Three of these flnds were reported to the National Museum of Ireland and were investigated by the writer assisted by Miss Audrey McCready. The structures exhibited similar characteristics and may usefully be considered in a single paper. Two are sited in the neighbouring townlands of Ballintermon and Glantane near Annascaul and the third is in Gallarus near the famous oratory. GLANTANEI A souterrain was discovered in this townland when a field boundary was removed during land development work. It was situated high on the steep south-facing slope of Flemingstown Mountain, at the junction of the enclosed fields with the open mountain pasture. The field boundary which forms the dividing line between the two types of land-use actually overlies a portion of the souterrain. This field boundary, which conSists of a bank with a ditch cut upslope, is straight for most of its course. However, in the immediate vicinity of the souterrain it curves into an arc (pl. l) in such a manner as to suggest that it may incorporate portion of an otherwise destroyed ringfort. DESCRIPTION OF THE,SOUTERRAIN The souterrain is an Lshaped structure which has three linked chambers (fig. l). Entrance may now be gained througfr a hole made by the excavating machine in the roof at the southern end of a large rectangular chamber (chamber 1). Its floor slopes gently along its north to south long axis. Part of the northern wall has collapsed. The inclined walls are constructed of small flat fragments of sedimen- tary rock resting on a foundation course of large rectangular blocks and roofed with large slabs. It was originally entered by means of a passage at the south-eastern corner. Here is placed a large upright slab into which a trapezoidal opening has been cut. The slab measures 80 cms by 70 cms; the opening in it has a maximum width of 44 cms and a maximum height of 30 cms. The chamber is 3.10 l. Par. Ballinvoher, bar. Corkaguiny: Ordnance Survey six-inch sheet no. 45,25.9 cms. from western margiu 26.1 cms. from northern margin, THREE KERRY SOUTERRAINS EAMONN P. KELLY CHAMBER 1 DESTROYED Setion, DRAIN 2 Ptate l: View of the site at Glantane looklng east. Note the kink in the ffdd boundary and the modern entrance to the souterrain. m. long and approximately 1.20 m. wide. Its maximum height The passage referred to links chambers I and 2 at right angles. Its walls are almost vertical and lack a foundation course of large blocks. It is roofed with large slabs. The floor slopes from north to south and is defined at its junction with chamber 2by a stone sill. The passage is approximately 1.20 m. long and has a maximum width of 53 cms. Its height varies from a maximum of 60 cms. to a minimum of 48 cms. The closed end of chamber 2 projects beyond the junction with the passage for approximately 90 cms. The walls, which incline, appear to be erected on a foundation course of large blocks but these could not be surveyed because ofthe presence ofwater in the chamber' The roof is of large slabs. The chamber narrows at its eastern end where the floor slopes upward into the passage linking chamber 2 with chamber 3. Chamber 2is 5.20 m. long and narrows in width from 1.00 m. to 80 cms. Its height decreases from a maximum of 1.55 m. to a minimum of 1 m. The floor of the passage leading from chamber 2 curves gently to the north where it adjoins chamber 3 at an angle of approximately 45o. Entrance to the souterrain was originally gained via an opening entrare to CHAMBER t f- -iOlm is 1.72 m. Slab at EETFEE Fig. l: Souterraln at Gtantane' plan and cross-sccdonc. in the roof of this passage. Large jambs are set in the wall on either side of this. Debris have collapsed through the opening and accumulated on the floor. The passage walls are almost vertical. They are roofed with large slabs and, for the most part, lack a foundation course of large blocks. The passage is approximately 2.00 m. long and has an average width of 60 cms. Its height varies from a maximum of 65 cms. to a minimum of 50 cms. The roof opening measures 55 cms. by 45 cms. Chamber 3 is a tiny beehive structure constructed in the corbelling technique. Its inclined walls, which are erected on a large foundation course, are roofed with a single slab. The chamber measures 1.00 m. across and is 70 cms. high. BALLINTERMON, This souterrain was discovered when a mechanical excavator was 2. Par. Ballynacourty, bar. Corkaguiny: Ordnance Survey six-inch sheet no. 45' 7'2 cms. from western margin; 23.5 cms. from southern margin. Eratta. The illustration shows the Ballintermon souterrain' not the Glantane examPle THREE KERRY EAMONN P. KELLY 'v SOUTERRAINS 9 surrounding field. The bank survives to a maximum thickness of approximately 5.00 m. and has an average height of around 2.00 m. The earthwork measures approximately 32'00 m' across. ENTRANCE DESCRIPTION OF THE SOUTERRAIN (Fie. 3) Only part of this structure could be examined and its original extent could not be determined. The surviving portion consisted of two linked chambers set at right angles to each other' Chamber I had been largely destroyed and one could only estimate its original shape It appears to have been a large rectangular chamber, presumably with further stretches of the souterrain extending to the north-east but these were completely obscured by rubble. The original entrance was probably at some, now inaccessible, location within the souterrain. Chamber I was constructed of dry-stone walls apparently raised on a foundation course of large blocks. It seems to have been roofed with large slabs, one of which lay nearby in the rubble. This measured and size. TER RAIN t4- .\ N RINGFORT BANK A e CHAMBER \,,A1 ---.i:Ipg6511T SCARPtNc rc 10 lSm epk Fig. 2: Ringfort at Ballintermon, plan and crosrsections. used to dig a hole within the western area of a ringfort interior. The latter (fig. 2) is an oval earthwork with an entrance facing east. The bank ha.s been scarped in a number of places and there is a gap in the western arc which appears to be recent. There originally appears to have been an accompanying ditch which, presumably, has been filled in over the years and of which no trace now survives.3 The area enclosed by the ringfort is raised slightly above the level of the 3. A ditch is clearly marked on the 1897 O.S. six-inch sheet. ENTRANCE .---) t) Glantane souterfain, not the Ballintermon u-u O:$Qs6 gab at efltrance; chamber Eratta. The illustration shows the 1. Fig. 3: Souterrain at Ballintermon, plan and cross.sections. example I0 EAMONN P, KELLY 1.20 m. and it was 20 cms. thick. At the entrance to the short passage which linked chamber I with chambet 2 alarge upright slab was set. A trapezoidal aperture cut into its base allowed access to the passage. The slab measured 1.79 m' by 1.05 m. The maximum width of the aperture was 45 cms. and it was 55 cms. high. The surviving portion of chamber I had a maximum width of approxi- 2.40 m. x. mately 2.00 m. and a maximum length of 3'00 m' The passage was short being only 80 cms. in length and was roofed with a single large slab. Chamber 2 was a large rectangular structure with inclined walls set on a foundation course of large blocks and roofed with large slabs. It was 3.35 m. long, 1.45 m. wide and 1.58 m. high. The floor dipped towards the back of the chamber where two drains were situated at the base of the end wall. One was centrally placed (drain 1) and the other (drain 2) was situated in a corner. They ran at an angle of approximately 40o to each other. Drain I was trapezoidal in cross-section. Its walls were built of slabs set on edge' leaning outwards and roofed with slabs. It decreased in width from 38 cms. at its roof to 26 cms. at floor level. The average height was 22 cms. and it ran for more than 3.00 m. Drain 2 was straight-sided, built of dry stones and roofed with slabs. If. in this way, they had access to the open air, they could also have functioned as ventilation shafts' It was 22 cms. wide, 43 cms. high and ran for at least 2.08 m. The possibility that these two features may originally have drained into a deep ditch outside the bank cannot be discounted. THREE KERRY SOUTERRAINS t1 FINDS A fragment of a millstone which, it appears, had formedy been built into the wall of chamber 1 was recovered from bulldozed rubble (fig. 4).' It was made from local old red sandstones and may originally have had a diameter in excess of I m. The stone gradually thickens towards the centre. This thickening is accentuated by a sudden raising of the upper surface with a stepJike feature approximately 9 cms. in from the edge. The top and side bear pock marks from the dressing of the stone and the grinding surface shows signs of considerable use. GALLARUS6 The souterrain at Gallarus was discovered during the removal of a field fence but the opening made. by the mechanical excavator was insufficient for entry to the structure. To facilitate examination alarger opening was made by removing some stones from the souterrain wall. Access into a small oval chamber was then possible' The complete souterrain is certainly more extensive but access to other parts ofit is not possible. DESCRIPTION (Fie. 5) The chamber walls, which inclined slightly, were built on a founda- tion course of larger blocks and were roofed with two slabs' A passage led irrto the north-west corner at an angle of approximately 45". Two large upright facing-slabs formed the passage walls as they joined the chamber. Elsewhere the passage walls appear to have been of dry-stone roofed with slabs' At a distance of approximately I m' from the chamber the passage was blocked with rubble and appears to have collapsed at that Point. The chamber was approximately 1.70 m. long, 1 m. wide and 90 cms. in height while the passage was approximately 46 cms' wide and 60 cms. in height. A deposit of coarse silting, up to l2 cms. thick, which overlay the chamber floor, was excavated. A quantity of charcoal which was scattered through this was collected. The three souterrains have comparable characteristics which lOcm 0 I Fig. 4: A millstone ftom Ballintcrmon. - 4. The drawing is by Miss Reiltin Murphy, National Museum of lreland' s. Identified f1i vtlss fleen Farley, Natural History Division' National Museum of Ireland. 6. Par. Kilmalkedar, bar. Corkaguiny: Ordnance Survey six-inch sheet no' 42'26'4 cms. from northern margin; 11.1 cms. from eastern margin' THREE KERRY EAMONN P. KELLY t2 SOUTERRAINS 13 Waddell proposed that they were designed to impede adults while allowing children to pass easily to a more secure location.8 Adults are obliged to enter head first and this requirement has obvious advantages for a defender stationed beyond the slab. If Waddell's view is correct then the entrance slab in the Ballintermon souterrain has been badly placed. A defender, retreating to the safety of chamber 2, would be restricted in his effort to prevent an attacker passing through the cut entrance by being himself obliged to operate in the low narrow passage between the slab and the chamber. One of the chambers in the Glantane souterrain was partly flooded when investigated. The builders of the Ballintermon souterrain sought to ensure against this possibility by incorporating two drains into their structure which, as earlier observed, may also have functioned N as ventilators. The frequency with which features, such as drains, occur in Kerry souterrains will not be known until a full survey of the monument type has been conducted in the county. In Co. Cork, where a survey has been done, dr6ins were observed in eight souterrains.e At Brackcloon a drain ran along the center of most of the structure's floor. Elsewhere, as at Little Island, drains ran from the base of the wall in much the same fashion as the Ballintermon example and, like the latter, may also have performed the additional function of serving as N EPK Fig. 5: Souterrain at Gallarus, plan and cross-sections. COMMENT indicate a similar cultural context. This being so, it is possible that their points of difference may be sources of information as to their relative function and date. As the Glantane souterrain was examined in its entirety it is perhaps logical to use this as a 'typical' example against which to compare the other structures. As has been shown, the Glantane souterrain is an L-shaped structure. The chamber which is at right angles to the other two is reached via a short passage and also by means of a slab with an entrance cut into it. The Ballintermon example is similar, though in this case the slab is placed at the opposite end of the passage. Similar entrance slabs are known from other Kerry souterrains and a number are mentioned by Ryan.? 7. M. Ryan, 'A souterrain in Kealduff Upper Townland, Glenbeigh', Kerry Arch. and Hist. Soc. Jn.9 (1976), 5-10. I am grateful to Mr Mark Clinton for supplying me with references to cut-slab entrances. ventilation shafts. The tiny chamber (chamber 3) at one extremity of the Glantane souterrain provides a good comparison with the small chamber of the Gallarus structure. There are some differences; for example, Gallarus is roofed with two slabs rather than one and the walls of the Glantane chamber are much more inclined. However, both are remarkable for their diminutive scale and compare well in being both entered at one corner by a passage set at approximately 45'. The passages adjoining both incorporate orthostats in their wall construction. The structure at Ballintermon was associated with a ringfort and the Glantane structure may also have been. There was no evidence of any such association in the case of the Gallarus example. Both Ballintermon and Gallarus are sited in similar locations on relatively flat land well suited for agriculture. Both have a number of ringforts in their immediate vicinity indicating intensive habitation during the 8. J. Waddell, 'Notes on some Kerry souterrains', Kerry Arch. and Hist. Soc. (1970), 1s 18. Jn.3 9. I am gra.teful to Mr Patrick McCarthy, University College, Cork, for providing me with informa.tion on the Cork souterrains and for allowing me refer to them in advance of his own publication. 14 EAMONN P. KELLY Early Christian period. Glantane is in a very different location which may suggest that its former occupants were engaged in a different form of land utilisation. The density of ringforts in its vicinity is much less than in that of the other two sites. The nearest earthwork to it is a square enclosure which superficially resembles a Norman moated grange.r0 Glasscock shows seventeen square enclosures in Co. Kerry which may be moated sites" one of which is at the eastern end of the Dingle peninsula.rr Souterrains are generally regarded as dating to the period between 500 A.D. and 1000 A.D. but nothing was found in association with any of the sites reported here to confirm this. The fragment of a mill- stone found at Ballintermon cannot definitely be related to the souterrain. Even if it had been found in situ in one of the walls it would at best provide a terminus post quem for its construction. In any event the millstone cannot itself be closely dated although the type may have been used in Early Christian horizontal water-mills. A millstone bearing similar decoration was found in the vicinity of a souterrain a.t Raskeagh. Co. Louth.12 Another similar example comes from Clogher West. Co. Limerick.l3 CONCLUSIONS While close dating of the structures is not possible it is probable that they were built during the early historic period between 500 A.D. and 1000 A.D. All three may, originally, have been associated with ringforts. They seem to have served as refuges in times of danger but were likely also to have been used as storage places. There appears to be a large number of these structures on the Dingle peninsula and the work of surveying ancient monuments currently being conducted in the area should prove to be of considerable assistance to our efforts to achieve a greater understanding ol their dating and function. 10. This is shown on the Ordnance Survey map as a small square field. Td. Glantane: Ordnance Survey six-inch sheet no. 45.23,5 cms. from western margin; 29.3 cms. from northern margin. 11. R. E. Glasscock, 'Moated sites and deserted borroughs and villages: two neglected aspects of Anglo-Norman settlement in lreland' in N. Stephens and R. E. Glasscock (ed.), Irish Geographical Studies in Honour of E. Estyn Evens (Belfast t97O). t62 7'.t. 2. National Museum ol Ireland file. I am grateful to Mr Gerard Millar, Dundalk, for bringing this millstone to my attention. 13. I am gratefultoMissMaryCahill.NationalMuseumof Ireland,forinformation [ about this millstone.