Cave in Gortaclare, passage in County Clare

This remains an important historical record, but the official description says the monument is no longer visible or has been destroyed. The monument record does not grant public access. Check the route and ask the landowner before entering private land.

What is recorded here

Read the whole record

On a low knoll of improved pastureland. Formerly within a ringfort (CL006-040----) of which there is no visible trace at ground level. Indicated and named cave on the 1915 ed. of the OS 6-inch map. A three-chambered Man-made underground passage with drystone sidewalls and upper corbelled course supporting massive roof lintels. The Man-made underground passage is entered through its NE corner at the E end of chamber 1, through a narrow clay-filled opening under its roof lintel. The infilled clay obscures the original end of this chamber which was probably also the original entrance. Chamber 1 (L 7.6m; Wth 1.35m; H 1.9m) is orientated E–W. A long narrow creep (L 4.1m; Wth 0.78m; H 0.98m) leads S from W end of chamber 1 to chamber 2. At the S end of the creep jambstones narrow the ope to only 0.3m in width. Chamber 2 (L 9.4m; Wth 1.55m; H 1.8m) runs N–S, in line with the first creep, and at its S end a second creep (L 1.55m; Wth 0.75m; H 1.1m) leads E to the third and smallest chamber (L 4.65m; Wth 1.55m; H 1.85m). The second creep has a sillstone placed midway along its length. Most of the stone in the Man-made underground passage is limestone but the sill and two jambstones are conglomerates.

From the National Monuments Service (Archaeological Survey of Ireland) record CL006-040002

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Photo credits

Mac McCarron, commons.wikimedia.org
Maker not stated on source page, ca.pinterest.com
Maker not stated on source page, www.letsgoireland.com
Maker not stated on source page, www.airbnb.co.in
Maker not stated on source page, en.wikipedia.org
Oliver Dixon, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
Graham Horn, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
Kmcnamee, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
National Inventory of Architectural Heritage
Maker not stated on source page, pt.pinterest.com
Graham Horn, Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0

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