*266 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



almost due east and west, and consists of a single chamber, 30 feet 



2 inches long, a little over 6 feet in breadth, and from 5 to 6 feet high. 

 It is built of unhewn stones, as such structui'es almost always ai'e, 

 each successive course reaching farther towards the interior than the 

 one immediately below it, until at the top the average breadth is about 



3 feet. The roof is composed of nine large stones, from 4 to 5 feet 

 long, laid so that they are from 1 to 2 feet, or more, apart. The 

 spaces, so formed, are each filled in turn with three or fotu' shorter 

 stones, laid at right angles to the larger ones, and of coui'se resting 

 upon them, whilst the openings left by these latter are carefully closed 

 by still smaller stones. As will be seen fi'om the plan (page 265) 

 kindly furnished by Mr. Kii'ker, the souterrain itseK is not dumbbell- 

 shaped, as is elsewhere stated, but of the same average breadth 

 throughout. Near the west end, and on the south side, there is a 

 well- constructed passage, or opening, 9 inches high by about the 

 same in width. This seems to have been the original entrance to the 

 •cave. 



The first thing done was to have the covering soil entii'ely removed. 

 The two upper layers of stones were then lifted, and "the principals" 

 left bare. The inscriptions being on two of these largest stones — the 

 last but one at each end — both were carefully taken up, so that the 

 legends, which were turned downwards, i.e. towards the interior of 

 the souterrain, could be thoroughly examined in broad daylight. 



The one at the west end was found to be the larger of the two, 

 being a little over 4 feet in length. After examination it was put 

 back again into its place, and the stones that formerly covered it also 

 replaced. The other was found to be badly cracked, and as it was 

 considered inadvisable to run the risk of having it broken by the 

 superincumbent weight, it was not restored to its position, a substitute 

 for it being found in the immediate neighbourhood. At present 

 Mr. Hyndman has the care of it, but it would be advisable for the 

 Academy to have it removed as soon as possible to the Museum in 

 Dublin. 



Both stones are basaltic, as are almost all the local stones. 



The inscription on stone No. 1 , i.e. the one at the west end, is 

 2 feet in length ; that on stone No. 2, the one at the east end, occupies 

 a space of 14 inches. The letters, in both instances, are unusually 

 small and badly formed. The average length of most of the conso- 

 nants is thi'ee-f ourths of an inch. Others, however, run up to an inch, 

 and a few, such as Rs and Ms, to a couple of inches. All of them look 

 as if they had been scored in with a nail. Even in the sunlight it was 



