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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 

Mayo Sites and Artefacts

1. Mayo Abbey 2. Balla 3. Ballintubber Abbey 4. Tóchar Phadraig 5. Aghagower 6. Lankhill 7. Boheh 8. Croagh Patrick Summit 9. Carrownalurgan 10. Ardoley 11. Kiladangan 12. Glaspatrick 13. Shrawee 14. Clare Island - Strake 15. Clare Island - Lecarrow 16. Caher Island 17. Durless

18. Carrowmore 19. Knappaghmanagh 20. Cushalogurt 21. Carrowkeel Ecclesiastical Remains 22. Thornhill 23. Carrowkeel Murrisk 24. Carrowkeel Cahernaran 25. Carrowmacloughlin Cairn-1 26. Carrowmacloughlin Cairn-2 27. Carrowmacloughlin Cairn-3 28. Carrowmacloughlin/ Glencally/ Teevenacroaghy 29. Carrowmacloughlin Sweathouses 30. Glaspatrick Holy Well

31. Glaspatrick Rath-1 32. Glaspatrick Early Ecclesiastical Remains 33. Glaspatrick Ringfort 34. Glaspatrick Rath-2 35. Glaspatrick Ecclesiatical Remains 36. Glaspatrick Altar 38. Glaspatrick Graveyard 39. Murrisk Demesne Standing Stone-1 40. Murrisk Demesne Standing Stone-2 41. Murrisk Demesne Standing Stone-3 42. Teevenacroaghy

Mayo - Vestvågøy - Mid-Argyll

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