What is recorded here

Kelly's Cave is a sixteen-metre limestone passage in County Mayo where carved benches and a roof skylight suggest a hermit once watched the seasons turn above an underground stream. Local tradition names a fugitive Kelly, perhaps hiding from rebellion or penal law, yet the smooth stone and deliberate steps point to patient human making rather than sudden flight. The cave still holds that tension between recorded fact and invented memory, inviting visitors to imagine whose hands shaped the darkness into a room.

In a rath (MA073-001001). This Man-made underground passage is indicated as ‘Cave’ in the NW quadrant of the rath on the 1838 and 1919 OS 6-inch maps. There is no visible trace at ground level. Compiled by: Jane O’Shaughnessy Date of upload: 2 June 2021

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.