County: Westmeath Site name: KNOCKMANT
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: —
Author: E. Kelly, National Museum of Ireland
Site type: Souterrain
Period/Dating: Early Medieval (AD 400-AD 1099)
ITM: E 653739m, N 751023m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.506449, -7.189902
A souterrain was discovered close to an old church site during the course of quarrying operations. It consisted of a curved passage built of dry stone with a lintelled ceiling. At one end of this was a corbelled beehive chamber. The entrance was at the up-slope end of the passage. This was ovate and of dry-stone construction. There was a vertical drop into the passage 1m deep.
The structure had been constructed in a pre-dug trench which was then back-filled. A plain bronze strip was recovered from this back-filled material. A quantity of animal bones and charcoal was recovered from debris blocking the souterrain entrance.
