Dunmore Caves
Encyclopedia
Dunmore Cave is a limestone
cave
in Ballyfoyle, County Kilkenny
, Ireland
. It is a show cave
open to the public, particularly well known for its rich archæological discoveries and for being the site of a Viking
massacre in 928.
Kilkenny
–Castlecomer
road and about 11 km (6.8 mi) north of Kilkenny City. The entrance is in the townland of Mohill, where a tourist centre has been established at the site. Overlooking the Dinnin river valley, it is found in an isolated outcrop of limestone on the Castlecomer Plateau
.
Dunmore is not one of the largest of Ireland's caves. It contains just a quarter of a mile of passages and at its deepest point, it descends to 150 ft (45.7 m), but it possesses some fine calcite formations. The most spectacular is the Market Cross, a distinctly cross-shaped column
over 19 ft (5.8 m) high.
by the Commissioners of Public Works
in 1944, but development as a show cave with visitor centre and tours didn't begin until 1967, at the behest of respected archæologist and spelæologist J. C. Coleman
. The cave was closed in 2000 for archæological work and redevelopment, and reopened in 2003.
, dating from the 14th to the 19th century, where ", and " are listed under the heading, "the three darkest places in Ireland". The last, meaning the "Cave of the Alders," is generally thought to be the present Dunmore Cave, while the first two translate as the caves of Knowth
and Slaney. Other sources translate the listed locations as Rath Croghan, the cave or crypt of Slane and the "Cave of the Ferns".
In the Annals of the Four Masters
, dated to the 17th century, was recorded as the site of a great Viking massacre in 928 AD:
whose report dated 1706 detailed a visit that he made to the cave as a boy. The essay was not published until 1871. In 1869 Arthur Wynne Foot, a physician
, made an archæological visit to the cave with Rev. James Graves and Peter Burtchaell and discovered large quantities on human remains, which they collected. In his reports, Foot meticulously documented his findings, and also called references from the writings of researchers over the preceding 120 years.
In 1999, a hoard of 43 silver and bronze items was discovered in a rocky cleft deep in the cave. The hoard was dated to 970 AD. It consisted of silver, ingots and conical buttons woven from fine silver.
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
cave
Cave
A cave or cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. The term applies to natural cavities some part of which is in total darkness. The word cave also includes smaller spaces like rock shelters, sea caves, and grottos.Speleology is the science of exploration and study...
in Ballyfoyle, County Kilkenny
County Kilkenny
County Kilkenny is a county in Ireland. It is part of the South-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the city of Kilkenny. The territory of the county was the core part of the ancient Irish Kingdom of Osraige which in turn was the core of the Diocese of...
, Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
. It is a show cave
Show cave
Show caves — also called tourist caves, public caves, and in the United States, commercial caves — are caves that are managed by a government or commercial organization and made accessible to the general public, usually for an entrance fee...
open to the public, particularly well known for its rich archæological discoveries and for being the site of a Viking
Viking
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
massacre in 928.
Show cave
The caves are located to the east of and close to the N78N78 road (Ireland)
The N78 road is a national secondary road in Ireland. The 50km long road links the N77 national secondary road north of Kilkenny, County Kilkenny to the M9 national primary route at Mullamast in County Kildare. En route it passes through the towns of Castlecomer in County Kilkenny, Ballylynan in...
Kilkenny
Kilkenny
Kilkenny is a city and is the county town of the eponymous County Kilkenny in Ireland. It is situated on both banks of the River Nore in the province of Leinster, in the south-east of Ireland...
–Castlecomer
Castlecomer
Castlecomer is a town in the barony of Fassadinin, County Kilkenny in Ireland.The Irish name for the town translates to "The castle at the confluence of the rivers"; the "rivers" refers to the rivers Deen, Brocagh and Clohogue while the "castle" refers to the castle built by the Normans in 1171...
road and about 11 km (6.8 mi) north of Kilkenny City. The entrance is in the townland of Mohill, where a tourist centre has been established at the site. Overlooking the Dinnin river valley, it is found in an isolated outcrop of limestone on the Castlecomer Plateau
Castlecomer Plateau
The Castlecomer Plateau is an upland area in the North of County Kilkenny, in Ireland, extending into County Laois and County Carlow at its northern edge. The plateau is bounded on the east and south by the N9 National primary road, on the west by the N77...
.
Dunmore is not one of the largest of Ireland's caves. It contains just a quarter of a mile of passages and at its deepest point, it descends to 150 ft (45.7 m), but it possesses some fine calcite formations. The most spectacular is the Market Cross, a distinctly cross-shaped column
Speleothem
A speleothem , commonly known as a cave formation, is a secondary mineral deposit formed in a cave. Speleothems are typically formed in limestone or dolostone solutional caves.-Origin and composition:...
over 19 ft (5.8 m) high.
Development
Dunmore Cave was designated a National MonumentNational Monument (Ireland)
The Irish state has officially approved the following List of National Monuments of Ireland. In the Republic of Ireland, a structure or site may be deemed to be a "National Monument", and therefore worthy of state protection, if it is of national importance...
by the Commissioners of Public Works
Office of Public Works
The Office of Public Works is a State Agency of the Department of Finance in the Republic of Ireland...
in 1944, but development as a show cave with visitor centre and tours didn't begin until 1967, at the behest of respected archæologist and spelæologist J. C. Coleman
J. C. Coleman
John C. Coleman was a respected Irish geologist, archaeologist and speleologist. He devoted much of his life to the study of the caves of Ireland, the product of which were his many contributions to scientific journals in Ireland and the United Kingdom and his founding of the Speleological...
. The cave was closed in 2000 for archæological work and redevelopment, and reopened in 2003.
History
The earliest historical reference to the cave is to be found in the Triads of IrelandTriads of Ireland
The title Trecheng Breth Féne "A Triad of Judgments of the Irish", more widely known as "The Triads of Ireland", refers to a miscellaneous collection of about 214 Old Irish triads on a variety of topics, such as nature, geography, law, custom and behaviour...
, dating from the 14th to the 19th century, where ", and " are listed under the heading, "the three darkest places in Ireland". The last, meaning the "Cave of the Alders," is generally thought to be the present Dunmore Cave, while the first two translate as the caves of Knowth
Knowth
Knowth is a Neolithic passage grave and an ancient monument of Brú na Bóinne in the valley of the River Boyne in Ireland.Knowth is the largest of all passage graves situated within the Brú na Bóinne complex. The site consists of one large mound and 17 smaller satellite tombs...
and Slaney. Other sources translate the listed locations as Rath Croghan, the cave or crypt of Slane and the "Cave of the Ferns".
In the Annals of the Four Masters
Annals of the Four Masters
The Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland or the Annals of the Four Masters are a chronicle of medieval Irish history...
, dated to the 17th century, was recorded as the site of a great Viking massacre in 928 AD:
Archæological study
The earliest writings on the cave of an archæological nature came from George BerkeleyGeorge Berkeley
George Berkeley , also known as Bishop Berkeley , was an Irish philosopher whose primary achievement was the advancement of a theory he called "immaterialism"...
whose report dated 1706 detailed a visit that he made to the cave as a boy. The essay was not published until 1871. In 1869 Arthur Wynne Foot, a physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
, made an archæological visit to the cave with Rev. James Graves and Peter Burtchaell and discovered large quantities on human remains, which they collected. In his reports, Foot meticulously documented his findings, and also called references from the writings of researchers over the preceding 120 years.
In 1999, a hoard of 43 silver and bronze items was discovered in a rocky cleft deep in the cave. The hoard was dated to 970 AD. It consisted of silver, ingots and conical buttons woven from fine silver.