Heritage

HERITAGE.

Beaufort Parish is rich in heritage. The recent Fás South Kerry Archaeological Survey has identified and mapped no less than 100 historical sites throughout the parish.

We acknowledge that many of these are mutilated but we feel that some of these that remain in reasonable condition could be preserved, restored and with the landowners permission might be developed as an amenity.

The most notable of the Archaeological remains in the Parish are the Coolmagort Ogham Stones.

We have the ruins of two castles in our midst. Dunloe Castle was built in1207 by the first Anglo-Norman intruders into Kerry. Castle Corr was built by MacGillycuddy, a sect of the O’Sullivan in 1450.

The ruins of two ancient churches still stand in our Parish today. One is situated in Kilgobnet in O’Shea’s land. This small ( 35’ * 18’ ) church is associated with St. Gobnait.

The other ruin, a larger structure (80’ * 24’) is in Churchtown burial ground (Cnocan). This church is more than 5 centuries old. The present Church of Ireland was built close to and parallel to these ruins in 1812. The present Parish Catholic Church was built in 1837 on a site donated by Daniel O’Mahony of Dunloe Castle.

This fort, situated about a mile to the right of the main road going from Killarney to Killorglin, is remarkable as containing a souterrain, excavated in the clay, like a tunnel, and not lined with stone. It is noticed by Mr. John Cooke, M.A., M.R.I.A., in a paper read by him before the Royal Irish Academy (P.R.I.A., VOL.XXVI. (C.), P. 3). The space within the enclosure is about 80 feet in diameter; the rampart, 20 feet wide, is surrounded by a trench, about 30 feet wide and 15 feet deep. The souterrain is now open from the surface, and the chamber is exposed, showing two passages branching off from it. At the time of our visit with Dr. Digby, the son of the owner pointed out the indication of where a shaft had been formed, from the surfaced to the roof of the chamber below.

And filled in again, through which the material excavated to form the chamber had been raised.

Souterrains formed by tunnelling are not of frequent occurrence. They are generally excavated open to the surface, and, when the stone side walls, passages, and roofs have been built, are covered over with earth. This is the first recorded instance of the discovery of a vertical shaft through which the excavated material had been raised to the surface.

It is only in very firm earth; hard and compact, such as exists here, that this mode of construction could be carried out.

Ardraw earthen fort, about a mile to the left of the main road going from Killarney to Killorglin is remarkable for containing a souterrain or underground passage which has been excavated in the clay like a tunnel and not lined with stone.

The space within the enclosure is about eighty feet in diameter, the rampart twenty feet wide and fifteen feet deep.

The souterrain is now open from the surface and the chamber is exposed, having two passages branching off from it.

At the time of our visit the son of the owner pointed out the indication of where a shaft had been formed from the surface to the roof of the chamber below, through which the material excavated to form the chamber had been raised.

Souterrains formed by tunnelling are not of frequent occurrence. They are generally excavated open to the surface and when the stone side walls, passages and roofs have been built, are covered over with earth.

This is the first recorded instance of the discovery of a vertical shaft through which the excavated material had been raised to the surface. It is only in very firm earth, hard and compact such as exists here, that this mode of construction could be carried out.

Journal Royal Society Antiques of Ireland

Bearing heritage in mind we must mention Kate Kearney’s Cottage, renowned in song and story. This is the focal point for many tourist, walkers and climbers who come here. This is also the main base for the traditional pony trips through the Gap.

In view of the number of sites mapped by the archaeological survey some effort should be made to establish the location and condition of those that are intact or reasonably so.

To signpost and research known artefacts and sites.

The possibility of establishing a heritage centre or compiling an historical photographic collection.