8 



Proceedings of the Royal Irkh Academy, 



Knock AGAREANE Souteeeain (O.S, 57). — A few fields to the south, 

 •on the farm of Pat Clifford, are traces of a small rath, in which is a 

 small but fine souterrain (Plate II.). It is open, very dry, and par- 

 ticularly well built, and the floor covered with loose stones. It is 

 entered from the field by a low, square opening, measuring 1 foot 

 6 inches broad^ and 2 feet 6 inches high. The chamber is 1 1 feet 

 6 inches long, running in a north-west and south-east direction, with 

 an average width of 3 feet at the floor. The walls are evenly and 

 regularly built, the stones being set with small spawls — an exceptional 

 feature among the chambers we examined ; the walls curve gradually 

 inwards, and the width at the top is 2 feet 6 inches. The chamber is 

 5 feet high, and roofed by six large slabs in the usual manner. At 

 5 feet from the entrance a passage runs to the north-east ; it is 1 foot 

 8 inches wide, 2 feet 2 inches high, and roofed by two large slabs. 

 At a distance of 3^ feet it is defended by two jambs set on edge, 

 standing each a couple of inches in, on which is a sill fixed upright 

 on edge, and closing the passage to a height of 1 foot 2 inches, and a 

 width of 1 foot 4 inches. This forms an excellent defence to further 

 progress of the passage, which is now closed at a distance of 5 feet 

 beyond by a fallen stone. 



I located other souterrains in the district ; and at Glencar I dis- 

 covered many more, four of which I explored. In County Mayo 1 

 explored six more, making a total of eighteen, planned and measured 

 this year. I think, however, those that I present are more than 

 sufficient for one paper, and sufficiently typical, too, of the rath- 

 chambers in this district of Kerry. As will be seen, they are simple 

 enough in plan, and those built of stone are all alike in general 

 structure. They are well and carefully built ; and in a country where 

 dry-stone walls are plentiful, none of the latter can be said to 

 equal, much less excel, the admirable manner of stone-laying which 

 characterises the walls of the rath- chambers. None of the souterrains 

 that I examined had any means of ventilation, except from the entrance ; 

 nor was there any case of a difference of elevation in the narrow 

 passages between the chambers for the purpose of defence, which has 

 been found in some of the more complicated chambers elsewhere. Some 

 of the passages were sufficiently narrow to make it a little unpleasant 

 to get through ; but I found none too narrow for a person of moderate 

 dimensions to squeeze through. Eut I do not think the chambers 

 were built by a race of big men, but rather by a race of men of 

 moderate size, if indeed not small. The chambers and passages clearly 

 showed their original intention as places of temporary retreat or 



