Mayo -
17
Durless
|
Site/Artefact
Durless
Type
Cashel & Souterrain
Site
Number
Mayo 096 01901 &
01902
National Grid
Reference
087540 East
277860 North
Map (
1:50000)
Ordnance Survey Ireland,
Discovery Series, 37
List of Sites
and Artefacts
Click
Here
Interactive
Map
Click
Here
|
Photos: Liam Murphy
|
 Description
A souterrain with dry stone walling
occurs within a stone cashel at Durless (Corlett,
2000). Durless translates as strong fort (Morahan,
2001). The nearly circular univallate cashel with
later stone work on top has internal diameters of
20m. The construction, where visible, is of small
irregular schist flags (Morahan, 2001). These
cashels are derivatives of the local geology where
the ringfort is constructed using stone rather than
earth for the embankment.
The souterrain is 7.3m long and runs beneath and
outside the NW area of the cashel wall. The word
souterrain is French in origin, sous (under) and
terrain (ground). They can be referred to locally
as 'caves' and are denoted in Gaelic with
uaimh and óin (Clinton, 2001).
These chambers were often designed with ventilation
shafts and elaborate obstruction features where the
occupants of the cashel could find temporary refuge
during a raid (Edwards, 1996). In more stable times
they would perhaps be used as places of storage for
food. (Barry, 1994)
Excavation Details
Not Available
Access/Ownership
Private
References
- Barry, T.B. 1994, The Archaeology of
Medieval Ireland, London,
- p. 25
- Clinton, M. 2001, The Souterrains of
Ireland, Wordwell, Wicklow, p.1, 7
- Corlett, C. 2001, Antiquities of West Mayo,
Wordwell, Wicklow, p. 57
- Edwards, N. 1996, The Archaeology of Early
Medieval Ireland, London, p.29
- Morahan, L. 2001 Croagh Patrick, Co. Mayo
archaeology, landscape and people, Croagh
Patrick Archaeological Committee, Mayo, pp. 88,
153
Other Mayo Sites and
Artefacts
|
This
project has been supported by the EU as part of the Culture
2000 programme.