1993:145 - KILLURAGH, Limerick

The site is located in Killuragh townland in east Limerick, 3 km south-east of the village of Cappamore. Entrance to the cave system lies just above 200' OD, on the north-east side of a limestone outcrop that caps a small hill.

The cave system consists of a series of narrow passages or fissures which extend through the body of the hill. Two openings, Entrance Passage 1 and Entrance Passage 2, give access to the cave interior. Both passages extend for 3m-4m, in a south-westerly direction, and open onto a small "chamber", 1m-1.5m in width x 1.7m in length, with its long axis at right angles to the entrance passages. The chamber had a maximum height of 1.4m above the sterile silt "floor" of the cave (see below). Two narrow passages lead further into the body of the hill from the chamber. Passage A (width: 0.5m-0.7m; height: 0.3m-1m) opens from the south-east end of the chamber and extends in a south-easterly direction for 3m, at which point it takes a right-angled turn and continues to the south-west. It was not investigated beyond the right-angled bend. At the north-west end of the chamber, Passage B (width; c. 0.4m-0.5; height; c. 0.4m) opens at a right angle to the chamber and extends to the south-west. The opening to Passage B is extremely narrow and the passage was not investigated.

The archaeological significance of the cave came to light accidentally. Entrance Passage 1 consists of a 0.4m-0.5m wide fissure which inclines steeply downwards for 3.2m to a point, 1.8m below exterior ground level, where it opens into the chamber. The steep slope of the passage appears to have precipitated much soil and debris from outside into the interior of the cave. The accumulated material almost entirely filled Entrance Passage 1 and the chamber. In an attempt to explore the cave, the landowner, Mr B. O'Neill, began to remove the infilling material. In the spoil generated by this activity Mr. O'Neill found bone remains and two stone artefacts which he subsequently brought to the National Museum. The bones included human remains and the stone artefacts were identified as a hollow scraper and a fragment of a polished stone axe. The National Museum and the OPW jointly arranged funding for an excavation which took place during three weeks in November 1993.

Excavation was concentrated in the chamber as this was the area in which Mr O'Neill had encountered the greatest quantity of bone. Very little of the original stratigraphy survived. During the excavation further fragments of human bone and a tiny flint flake were recovered. These came from deposits, up to 1m deep, of grey-brown silty soil containing animal bone and small amounts of charcoal. Disturbance by burrowing animals was evident and it was difficult to differentiate clear stratigraphic divisions within this material. It proved impossible to reconstruct the original form of the human burials. Passage A and Entrance Passage 2 were also investigated but produced only animal bone. The grey-brown deposits overlay dense accumulations of orange silts and sands that contained no bone or charcoal. These deposits infilled the lowest levels of the fissures or passages, forming a sterile "floor" below which excavation did not take place.

The animal remains include domestic species as well as wild fauna, such as badger, fox and rodents. An incomplete fragment of a metacarpal, found on the surface of the sterile silts, is of giant Irish deer (Megaloceros giganteus).

Preliminary investigation undertaken by Ms. C. Power (Archaeological Services Unit, UCC) of the human remains indicates that the bones represent at least four individuals, two adults, an adolescent and an infant. Elements from most areas of the body were represented but there were no complete skeletons. Pathological conditions exhibited by the bones include osteoarthritis, dental hypoplasia, attrition and trauma.

While the flint and stone artefacts point to Neolithic activity in the cave, the disturbed nature of the deposits means that there is no stratigraphic tie between the artefacts and the human bones. However, the assumption is that the human bones represent Neolithic cave burials similar, for instance, to those found recently at Annagh, Co. Limerick (Excavations 1992, 41-2), a cave site situated 12 km to the north-west of Killuragh. It is hoped that radiocarbon dating will provide confirmation of this.