FAQ Category: Cave map

One of Crag Cave’s most famous stalagmites in the cave system, it is said to resemble the Madonna and Child. With a little bit of faith, it is possible to discern Mary holding the baby Jesus in her arms.  

Thousands of straw stalactites drop from a roof of pure white calcite. Coming towards the end of the tour, this is possibly the most spectacular and memorable section of Crag Cave. The Michelin Guide, who rated Crag Cave with two stars, describes the beauty of the Crystal Gallery as “eliciting gasps of wonder”. Being hollow […]

The candlestick-shaped stalagmites precariously perched on a ledge draws a visitor’s attention upwards to the domed ceiling of “The Cathedral”. The unusual shape of the stalagmite impresses on viewers the rate of growth for stalagmites and the past climate of Ireland, especially the last time Ireland had a warm, dry climate…ending about 5,000 years ago!

As Diarmuid and Gráinne fled from the great warrior Fionn Mac Comhaill, they hid in forests and caves, journeying throughout the island over years to escape the jealous, ageing Fionn. We’re told that they spent a night hiding in a cave in the Sliabh Luachra area. We believe this to be Crag Cave. In our […]

This entertaining part of the cave allows adults and children alike to have a little fun trying to recognise some everyday items you would find in a kitchen within the cave formations! These can range from food items to glassware so make sure you keep an eye out and get creative!  

At this stop, we can see a different type of formation. It’s called flowstone and it is formed by water flowing across the cave’s floors and walls. You’ll be able to compare a “dead” formation (that is no longer forming) and a feature that is still active. Drapery features are seen hanging off the edge […]

Being avid fans of J.R.R. Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings”, the first explorers of the cave named this cavern “Minas Tirith” after the great city of Gondor in Middle Earth. This chamber was formed by three separate passages joining together and reveals the stream that runs through the cave continually eating into the rock and […]

Do you remember those prehistoric creatures and marine life that played such an intrinsic part in the laying down of the limestone? A mineral called calcium carbonate is stored in the skeletons and shells of the sea creatures who lived in the sea water. Limestone is made up of at least 50% of this mineral. […]

After some initial exploration of the caves, in 1983, Martyn Farr, a world-renowned Welsh cave diver made his way through a 24 foot flooded U-shaped passage at the end of Crag Cave Lower. Neither he, nor John Cooper, his fellow cave diver on the exploration, knew what lay ahead. Mud and silt on the edge […]

The limestone outcrop marks the cave’s entrance. Did you know that 350 million years ago Ireland lay close to the equator? In fact, Ireland was submerged under a tropical sea rich in marine life. This period in history is called the Carboniferous geological period. As you begin your tour of this unique and ancient environment, […]