Ballybane 'Souterrain'

darrenh

Fuinseog wrote: »

it goes in a fair bit, just how far i cannot remember. any takers for where it comes out, if at all?

It goes in around 20 to 30 metres and has a higher ceiling at the back. There are little passages in there as well that only a child could fit through. I remember going into them and getting really claustrophobic. Long long time ago.

darrenh

Fuinseog wrote: »

its been known as coopers cave for at least 60 years. is it marked on the OS map?
as with any cave do not explore by yourself

I saw it marked on a old map before and it was just marked 'cave'. I cant for the life of me find it anywhere.

Coopers cave is a real cave in New York that was made famous in The Last of the Mohicans. The book was first published in 1826.

Is it really known as Coopers cave for 60 years?

Since the road has gone in beside it, 20 or so years ago, it's supposedly unstable. The entrance is all covered over with bushes and trees as there's no longer many kids around the area who venture in there on a daily basis and keep the bushes away!

bonzodog2

According to this page
link
it was 'partially filled with rubble' over thirty years ago

darrenh

Well I grew up right beside it and I'm 30 and I can honestly tell you it's not anyway filled with rubble. I know as kids we could have had amazing imaginations but having your own cave as a playground is something you remember quite clearly.

Maybe the cave I know is not Coopers and that there is another one near it that has been filled in.

The Sandy river splits in two in that area and both then disappear underground. On the map where it splits to the left it runs into the side of a small hill and disappears. The split to the right disappears into a cave that is closed off by iron bars, again which only a small child/mischievous boy can fit through.

airvan

Going back to the one in Ballybane. I've been through it a few times walking the kids. Often wondered at it's odd configuration. So that's what it was, a ringfort. Never thought of that.

There are a lot of ringforts in this country. They are very visible from the air. I'm told most of them were no more interesting than cattle pens used to protect the livestock from the depredations of the wildlife and the rival tribes. The fairyfort curse thing protects them even to this day.

Michifuz

Fuinseog wrote: »

i think there is a souterrian out the tuam road. there is a ring fort just off the road, there used to be a sign for it, but is was removed.
I am nearly 100% sure there is a underground passage in the centre of the fort. about 15 miles out the road.

Where exactly on the Tuam Road?

unJustMary

Fuinseog wrote: »

i was last in coopers cave 30 years ago. its just above where the river runs underground. does that river actually have a name? the one that runs behind dunnes on the headford road.

Terryland River? I'm sure I've seen it marked as that on the paper Ordinance Survey map of Galway.

darrenh

unJustMary wrote: »

Terryland River? I'm sure I've seen it marked as that on the paper Ordinance Survey map of Galway.

It's known as both Terryland River and Sandy River.

friendface

bonzodog2 wrote: »

OK, let me elaborate a little.
"an underground chamber or passage" is the definition from
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/souterrain.
Which is not the same as a ring fort. I wondered if anyone knew anything about its alleged underground content. It was the word souterrain that initially sparked my interest when idly looking at a map one day a few years ago

Were the Souterrains not just used to bring in livestock for safety. I think I remember reading about them years ago in our history class. During a raid or during bad weather, all the livestock would be moved down to the souterrain.

Never seen one though so I'm not sure what they're like.

happyoutscan

Ringforts were single family farmsteads with roughly 30,000 left throughout the country. The original number would have been much higher. Souterrains were used for storage, shelter and safety when necessary but would not have been used generally in storing livestock, they would not have been big enough. For this, most of the ringforts would have had an additional wooden or stone rampart along the top of the outer bank to add greater protection as well as allowing for animals to be kept within without roaming. Few of the ramparts remain as the timber would waste to the elements and the stone would have been 'robbed out' for other uses etc.

Fuinseog

airvan wrote: »

Going back to the one in Ballybane. I've been through it a few times walking the kids. Often wondered at it's odd configuration. So that's what it was, a ringfort. Never thought of that.

There are a lot of ringforts in this country. They are very visible from the air. I'm told most of them were no more interesting than cattle pens used to protect the livestock from the depredations of the wildlife and the rival tribes. The fairyfort curse thing protects them even to this day.

very few believe in the faerie these days. most people who enter a ringfort are able to get out of them again. most ringforts are very unassuming, though there are a few with defensive ditches that are impressive enough.

darrenh

bonzodog2 wrote: »

According to this page
link
it was 'partially filled with rubble' over thirty years ago

http://www.castlegar-county-galway.com/coopers-cave-castlegar-galway

The cave does still exist!