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Wednesday, July 28, 2004
Ancient souterrain is discovered in west Sligo
By: Denis Daly
An extensive souterrain has been discovered in west Sligo following the appearance of a hole in a road leading to a remote beach area.
The man-made underground passage and circular chamber are about four feet under the tarred surface of the road near the Harbour Bar in Pollaheeney.
The hole appeared in the road when part of the roof slabbing on the passage collapsed.
Some time ago other man-made passages were discovered in the area when a new house was being built.
"We had the archaeological society out from Sligo and building work was held up while they surveyed the souterrain," said publican Gerry Browne.
He explained that there are a number of forts in the area with at least four of them close to the area where the souterrain is located.
A number of local people and some visitors to the Harbour Bar have entered the passages and travelled through them for up to twenty feet.
Last week intrepid Western People photographer, David Farrell took his camera into the chamber and with light provided by local man J. P. Caffrey he got photographs of the interior.
It is understood that the underground passages and beehive shaped chamber were constructed as hiding places or as places of storage or were used for both purposes.
The west Sligo one is similar to ones surveyed in other parts of the country. It is dry stone built from heavy slabs. Unusually in the Pollaheeney one some of the roof structure is timber.
It is unknown when they were first built but it is generally accepted that they are early Christian and that they were still being constructed up until the twelfth century and possibly later.
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