What is recorded here

Kelly's Cave is a sixteen-metre limestone chamber near Cong, Ireland, where carved benches and a roof skylight suggest centuries of human occupation. Local stories claim a fugitive named Kelly sheltered there after the 1798 Rebellion or survived the Penal era as a highwayman, transforming a natural hollow into a stage for desperate resistance. The cave remains a National Monument, preserving the quiet danger of a place where ordinary stone became a vessel for survival and memory.

Labelled ‘Cave’ and shown in the SW sector of a named ringfort (‘Coolkehan’, MA070-119001-) on the first edition (1837) of the OS 6-inch map but not recorded on the later, OS 25-inch map (1893). There is no visible surface trace of this possible Man-made underground passage but subsurface features may survive intact. Date of visit: 13-05-2025 Compiled by: Gearóid Conroy

The monument record does not grant public access. Check the route and ask the landowner before entering private land.