Mitchelstown Cave
Encyclopedia
Mitchelstown Cave is a limestone
cave
near Burncourt
South Tipperary
, Ireland
. Situated 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) from Mitchelstown
, County Cork
, it became the first cave in Ireland to be developed for the public
in 1972.
The cave is located in the townland of Coolagarranroe, off the R639
between Mitchelstown and Cahir
. It is a privately-owned local landmark and tourist destination, with a number of caverns open to the public through a guided tour. Noteworthy speleothems include the Tower of Babel column. The largest cavern, known as the Concert Hall, has hosted musical events including a performance by the Celtic Tenors.
, and subsequently visited by a large number of eminent naturalist
s and speleologists including Édouard-Alfred Martel
in 1895 and H. Lyster Jameson, who first described the fauna
found within the cave. In 1908 the cave was thoroughly explored and resurveyed
by Dr. C. A. Hill, Dr. A. Rule, Harold Brodrick of the Yorkshire Ramblers' Club and Robert Lloyd Praeger
.
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...
near Burncourt
Burncourt
Burncourt is a village in County Tipperary, Ireland with an approximate population of 138 people.-Location:It lies in the Galtee-Vee Valley with the Galtee Mountains to the north and the Knockmealdowns to the south. It is located 1.7 kilometres from the former main Dublin to Cork road now...
South Tipperary
South Tipperary
South Tipperary is a county in Ireland. It is part of the South-East Region and is also located in the province of Munster. It is named after the town of Tipperary and consists of 52% of the land area of the traditional county of Tipperary. The county was established in 1898 and has had a county...
, 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,...
. Situated 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) from Mitchelstown
Mitchelstown
Mitchelstown is a town in County Cork, Ireland with a population of approximately 3300. Mitchelstown is situated in the valley to the south of the Galtee Mountains close to the Mitchelstown Caves and is 28 km from Cahir, 50 km from Cork and 59 km from Limerick...
, County Cork
County Cork
County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...
, it became the first cave in Ireland to be developed for the public
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...
in 1972.
The cave is located in the townland of Coolagarranroe, off the R639
R639 road
The R639 road is one of Ireland's regional roads. Once designated the N8 national primary road , it was reclassified in stages as the R639 following the progressive opening of sections of the M8 motorway, which rendered the single carriageway N8 redundant as a national primary road...
between Mitchelstown and Cahir
Cahir
Cahir is a town in South Tipperary in Ireland. The town is best known for its castle and the Swiss Cottage. It is in the barony of Iffa and Offa West.-Location and access:...
. It is a privately-owned local landmark and tourist destination, with a number of caverns open to the public through a guided tour. Noteworthy speleothems include the Tower of Babel column. The largest cavern, known as the Concert Hall, has hosted musical events including a performance by the Celtic Tenors.
History
While the presence of a cave had been known in the area at least as far back as 1777 (often referred to as the "old cave"), Mitchelstown Cave (or the "new cave") was discovered by Michael Condon, a farm worker on 8 May 1833. It was first explored and mapped in 1834 by James ApjohnJames Apjohn
James Apjohn was the Irish chemist known for the discovery of new minerals.-Life:Apjohn studied at Trinity College, Dublin medicine and finished with his M.B. in 1822...
, and subsequently visited by a large number of eminent naturalist
Naturalist
Naturalist may refer to:* Practitioner of natural history* Conservationist* Advocate of naturalism * Naturalist , autobiography-See also:* The American Naturalist, periodical* Naturalism...
s and speleologists including Édouard-Alfred Martel
Édouard-Alfred Martel
, the 'father of modern speleology', was a world pioneer of cave exploration, study, and documentation...
in 1895 and H. Lyster Jameson, who first described the fauna
Fauna
Fauna or faunæ is all of the animal life of any particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is flora.Zoologists and paleontologists use fauna to refer to a typical collection of animals found in a specific time or place, e.g. the "Sonoran Desert fauna" or the "Burgess shale fauna"...
found within the cave. In 1908 the cave was thoroughly explored and resurveyed
Cave survey
A cave survey is a map of all or part of a cave system, which may be produced to meet differing standards of accuracy depending on the cave conditions and equipment available underground. Cave surveying and cartography, i.e. the creation of an accurate, detailed map, is one of the most common...
by Dr. C. A. Hill, Dr. A. Rule, Harold Brodrick of the Yorkshire Ramblers' Club and Robert Lloyd Praeger
Robert Lloyd Praeger
-Life:Of a Unitarian background, he was born in Holywood, County Down, and grew up in that town where he was educated, first in the school of the Rev McAlister and then at nearby Sullivan Upper School. He worked in the National Library of Ireland in Dublin from 1893 to 1923. He co-founded and...
.