Experience the enchanting beauty of Crag Cave. Older than mankind itself, Crag Cave was not discovered until 1983. Today, Ireland’s most exciting showcave is an all weather visitor attraction located just north of Castleisland, the gateway to Kerry.
An ancient fossil cave system over 1 million years old, Crag Cave was formed by underground rivers and flood filled chambers, eroding the limestone over millennia. This extensive underground system is almost four kilometres long, 400 meters of which is accessable to visitors and is one of the finest examples of limestone cave formation on the island. Visitors can see the delicate subterranean features such a s stalactites and stalagmites, wonder at the beauty of ‘The Crystal Gallery’, filled with thousands of pure calcite straws, or gaze upward to the candlestick shaped stalagmites in the domed ceiling of ‘The Cathedral’. These outstanding features of the cave have been meticulously formed over the past 15,000 years.
Crag Cave is a living system that will continue to grow and change in balance with nature for tens of thousands of years to come.
Fans of J.R.R Tolkien can learn about Helms Deep, the Forest of Fangorn, Minas Tirith, the Hall of Moria, and the Cirith Ungol passage and hear how the cave divers exploring the cave in the early 1980’s were so awestruck by the unique, complex caverns and tunnels, that they named them after locations of the master storytellers’ ‘Middle Earth’.
Crag Cave is open all year round and self guided tours take approximately 30 minutes. To access the cave tour visitors need to climb 72 steps meaning unfortunately the attraction is not accessible for wheelchairs, prams or pushchairs.
All other areas of the Visitor Centre, Activity Centre, Restaurant, Toilets, and Gift Shop are fully accessible.
Visit Crag Cave and embark on a fascinating journey through 1 million years of history.
For more information please visit www.cragcave.com
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