102 H. C. Lawlor on 



50 Souterrains survive to-day totally unconnected with a Rath 

 for one in a Rath. In last year's paper I produced what I believe 

 to be conclusive proofs that where a Souterrain is found within the 

 precincts of a Rath, it can in many, if not most cases, be 

 established that the particular Rath where this occurs is of much 

 later date than the Souterrain which it happens to surround. 

 Additional evidence to this eflfect is supplied by Mr. Usher's 

 excavations in a Cave within a Rath,* where he proves that the 

 Cave had actually been used as a refuse depository or midden by the 

 Rath dwellers, the deposit of midden refuse in this case extending 

 actually to some 30 feet in depth, the antiquarian remains being 

 of a type apparently more recent than the type peculiar to 

 Souterrains. It is to me extraordinary that hitherto the 

 Souterrain or underground house of the lower grade of society of 

 the Ancient Irish has attracted so little real study, or even caused 

 the display of such absolute ignorance on the part of distinguished 

 Irish Archseological writers. To give a case in point, I shall 

 quote a paragraph from the introduction to Professor O'Curry's 

 " Manners and Customs of the Ancient Irish," written by Pro- 

 fessor Sullivan. t He says: "I do not know of any under- 

 ground habitations in the proper sense of the word in lie- 

 land, but every Dun and Rath had small chambers excavated 

 under the airlis or ground within the enclosing mound or ram- 

 part. These chambers vary in size, but are usually nine or ten feet 

 long, three or four feet broad, and three or four feet high, etc." 

 Professor Sullivan's introduction to O'Curry is the result of 

 the highest literary research ; my own work has been chiefly 

 spade work. In archaeological research the exclusive pursuit of 

 either branch undoubtedly leads to error. I can only say, in 

 conclusion, that I fear that it is more than likely excess of spade 

 w^ork over literary work may have led me into many errors, just 

 as the above manifest mistake in fact by Professor Sullivan is a 

 result of too much literary work and too little spade work. 



* See Journal R.S.A.I., vol. xvii. (1885), p. 362. Article by Mr, 

 R. J. Ussher on " Kitchen Middens and Raths," 

 t Vol. I., p. ccxciii, 



