County Louth Archaeological and History Society

A Souterrain at Bellurgan, County LouthAuthor(s): Noel RossSource: Journal of the County Louth Archaeological and Historical Society, Vol. 24, No. 4(2000), pp. 563-565Published by: County Louth Archaeological and History SocietyStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/27729880 .

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A Souterrain at Bellurgan,

County Louth

By Noel Ross

On 30 November 2001 Mr Tom Johnston of Deerpark, Ravensdale, a member of the Society,

reported the discovery of a souterrain in the townland of Bellurgan. During the digging of a

soak-pit for a large

new house being built in the field adjoining Mr Johnston's property the

excavator driver removed one of the lintels of the souterrain. Fortunately he realised what he had

found and promptly ceased digging at that point. The location of the site on six-inch O.S. sheet 4

for Co Louth is 69.8cm from the western margin and 1.0cm from the southern.

The present writer visited the site the following morning and found sufficient evidence to

show that that this was the souterrain described by Edward Tipping in 1864.1 It was included in

the list of County Louth souterrains published by O R?ord?in2 but surprisingly it is not

mentioned in the Archaeological Survey of County Louth? Mr Victor Buckley of Duchas later visited

and examined the site.

Edward Tipping's description is as follows:

The cave is situated in the townland of Bellurgan ... It is altogether artificial, situated in a

bank over the river; and there seems to have been almost a town of such constructions

within a circuit of half a mile. There is also a large cromlech [Proleek dolmen] close at

hand. One of the flags covering the cave appearing bare of mould, it was taken up, when a

passage was found, about four feet high, and three wide, inclining downwards in a

direction parallel to the slope of the bank. After twenty-three feet it turns at a right angle

to the left, or towards the river; and, continuing thirteen feet six inches further, termi

nates, apparently built up square; but in the floor was seen a square hole, descending

which, we find at a level about three feet lower, a continuation nineteen feet long, and in

the same direction, which finally terminates in a circular space or chamber, both wider

and higher than the passage leading to it. The cave is constructed throughout of water

worn boulders from two cwts. downwards, evidently taken from the bed of the adjacent

river, covered with large coarse

flags, some

projecting on each side, supporting

a third on

top, others reaching over all, but no attempt at an arch. In the end wall, over the hole, was

an orifice nine inches square, from which a narrow flue, neatly built, having the roof

stones of the cave below for its floor, led straight out to the surface of the bank. Having by measurement ascertained the position of its outer end, we

dug for and opened it; we

could then see through it, and found it half filled with dry limestone gravel, apparently

on

purpose. The cave appears to have been first dug out, then built and roofed, and the

gravel returned. The floor is the natural 'till', and seemed undisturbed except in the

terminal chambers and at the angle, which evidently were turned to the depth of a foot by

some previous discoverer. The mould about the entrance was black and fine, and showed

traces evidently of fires having been made there. By digging I found the cave had formerly extended further in an

opposite direction, but had been opened, and the stones forming it levelled in. We found several pieces of bone in the mould around

- two, like human

hand or foot bones, were found along with the jawbone of a cow, in the air passage. There

1 J.R.S.A.I., 8, (1864-6), 183-4.

2 B. ? R?ord?in, 'Three Souterrains in County Louth', C.L.A.J., xiii, 4, (1956), 447.

3 V. Buckley and P.D. Sweetman, Archaeological Survey of County Louth (Dublin, 1991).

563

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564 County Louth Archaeological and Historical Journal

Plate 1. Bellurgan souterrain: the lower-level passage and chamber.

Photo: Jimmy Green

Plate 2. Bellurgan souterrain: the junction of the original entrance passage and the first-described passage. Photo: Jimmy Green

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A Souterrain at Bellurgan, County Louth 565

was no trace of fire or iron in the cave itself, or of any inscription. If I might venture a

conjecture, I would say the cave is of high antiquity - from its small height and the

arrangement of the roof, probably Celtic, and that its constructors used it for a hiding

place for their property and themselves in time of danger, the air passage supplying them

with air when the other end was closed; and that the huts in which they usually lived were

situated over it, where the traces of fire are seen in the mould.

?J.R.S.A.I., 8, (1864-6), 183-4.]

The point where the lintel was removed was immediately over 'the square hole' mentioned by

Tipping. The air-vent could also be seen. The point where Tipping entered was quite obvious by

the black soil which contrasted sharply with the natural 'till'. A stone at the back of the lower

chamber and almost at roof level carries the pencilled inscriptions: H T Love4 1864, J.C 1864, J A, A? C, and T. In the depression left by 'some previous discoverer' in this chamber was part of the

bowl and stem of a clay pipe. The bowl carries the inscription 'United Trades Association

Dublin-Registrd'.

4 Henry T. Love (1835-1918) lived in the house now occupied by Mr Tom Johnston. He was Deputy Clerk of the

Crown and Peace and was the author of Schedule of Costs of Civil Bill Decrees (Dundalk, Wm. Tempest), the tenth

edition of which was published in 1910. For an obituary see Tempest's Annual, 1919, 18.

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