104 



rock-basin3 ; and, though no tradition attaches to it, the peasantry look 

 upon it as a sacred stone. 



The Killeena appears to have been originally enclosed, or rather 

 contained within the area of a very extensive rath, a segment of the 

 enclosing fence of which still exists to the north, and a further portion 

 of it being traceable, though overgrown with grass, yet still elevated 

 above the general ground level. It was in the process of removing 

 this fence that the tenant farmer, Mr. William Quealy, discovered 

 the Souterrain ; and, being a person of considerable intelligence, he 

 immediately stopped the workmen, and communicated the fact to Mr. 

 William Williams, of Dungarvan, a gentleman well known for his an- 

 tiquarian tastes, who lost no time in proceeding to the spot ; under his 

 direction, the chamber was carefully opened, the earth removed from 

 the interior, and also from the exterior, when, to that gentleman's 

 great delight, he discovered a number of Ogham inscriptions on the 

 side pillars and roofing stones. 



Mr. Williams immediately communicated his discovery to me, and, 

 on Thursday, September 19th, I visited the locality, accompanied by 

 Mr. George Atkinson, of the Department of Science and Art, South 

 Kensington, Mr. Williams kindly accompanying us. 



The monument resembles that class of our megalithic structures 

 known in this country as Leaba Diarmada agus Gkrainne, or " Diarmid 

 and Grrainne's Bed;" it lies east and west, and was completely covered 

 up in the fence already alluded to, being about half below and half 

 above the natural surface level of the ground. 



The chamber is an irregular parallelogram, slightly curved in 

 its length, which is 9 feet 1 0 inches ; width in the centre, 4 feet 

 10 inches; average height, 4 feet 4 inches. (See Plan, PI. XIV) It 

 consists of two side walls, formed principally of rough undressed upright 

 pillars, the irregular spaces between being filled with coarse uncemented 

 rubble masonry, the east end being built across in the same manner. 

 The roof (see PI. XV.), is formed of slabs of undressed stone, laid 

 across lintel- wise, and resting on the side walls. The original entrance 

 appears to me to have been at the east end, where there is a portion of 

 a covered passage, 5 feet in length ; 2 feet 3 inches in width ; and 2 

 feet 2 inches in height, the east end of this passage being stopped by 

 the clay bank. (Pis. XVII. & XVIII.) These narrow passages, or, 

 as they are usually designated by the peasantry, " creeps," are very 

 general in rath chambers ; they are sometimes of very considerable 

 length when leading to a single chamber, and usually connect a number 

 of chambers : in many instances they are so low and narrow, as to oblige 

 the explorer to creep on his face and hands ; hence the very appropriate 

 name given to them by the country people. 



All the stones composing the chamber are perfectly rude and un- 

 dressed, showing no tool mark whatsoever except the Ogham scores ; 

 these are found on a certain number of the side pillars and roofing 

 stones, and under such circumstances as plainly indicate that they 



