Mitchelstown Cave

Michael Condon was quarrying limestone at Burncourt in May 1833 when his crowbar slipped into a fissure; he went down after it and found a cave system. The Mulcahy family, on whose land it lies, have shown it ever since - the same family, for nearly two centuries, which is unusual in itself. Around two kilometres of passages are known and about half a kilometre is on the tour, through three main chambers including the Cathedral, a large chamber with a substantial column formation and good acoustics; guides sometimes sing in it. There are stalactites, stalagmites, curtains and flowstone throughout. Access is down a flight of about ninety steps and the passages are damp, cool at a constant nine degrees or so, and low in places. The nearby Desmond cave, where the Earl of Desmond hid in the 1580s, is a separate system and not the one shown here.

What you actually see

• The Cathedral chamber - the largest, with its column and acoustics.
• The formations - stalactites, stalagmites, curtains and flowstone.
• The 1833 discovery - found by a quarryman chasing a dropped crowbar.
• The family operation - shown by the same family since the discovery.

When to go

Any season; the cave holds a constant temperature around nine degrees, so bring a layer whatever the weather outside. Tours run at intervals through the day.

Honest expectations

About ninety steps down and back up, with low and damp sections - not suitable for limited mobility or claustrophobia. Guided tour only, roughly an hour. Cool underground year-round.

Nearby

Cahir Castle and the Swiss Cottage are north; the Galtee Mountains are west.