11th October     School House Sink, (B10d),(S.H.S), – Poulcloghaun, (B10f) 

Calum McNamara, Niamh McNamara, PC
12:30. Cloud 100%: Wind SW, F2: Visibility 25Nm: Rain Gauge 0mm: Temp:18°C: Ground dry: The Plan: unexpected chance to be guided to these sinks Calum and Naimh. Records indicate Poulcloghaun and S.H.S. are within the dry river channel, that meanders west from Polldonough South, (B9a), an elevated area disrupts the valley’s initially, shallow, continuity. Further downstream multiple sites issue water after significant rain events, believed when Coolagh River Cave appears reach its capacity to pass the increased volume entering its three known entrances - Polldonough Main, North and South. CMcN remembers Poulcloghaun  entrance, (shaft), covered by a flagstone, close to the ford - his last visit to this site, some ten years back, (then aged ≈10). Poulcloghaun is, undoubtedly, on Linnane land from which cavers are banned, since a flagstone, covering a cave, (unspecified), was not replaced, resulting in the loss of a cow. When recently approached Mr. Linnane was adamant the ban remained in place. Kindly ‘escorted’ across the Linnane field by his young neighbours, CMcN and NMcN - down a desperately muddy, steep ‘track’ that led to a revetted ford built across the, presently, dry channel. Immediately right, (upstream), through a mass of thick briars, the deepening dry stream channel appears stop, (ITM 511490 x 700680), seemingly passing beneath the revetted ford, which is not the case, as checked the downstream side - CMcN believes this site to be Poulcloghaun; (am unsure). Downstream the ford, the stream channel delimits ownership of Linnane and McNamara land. An attempt was made to force the briars, to reach a point some thirty metres downstream, here CMcN believes S.H.S. is located; he’d previously shinnied down the steep, 80% slope, behind his Father’s workshop to a known ‘hole’- this steep ‘slope’ may indeed be the ‘cliff’ described by Charlie in Co. Clare, (1980), p88. Contrary to one observation, the stream channel continues southwest for another 150 metres, to pass beneath the road at, ITM 511275 x 70020, heading toward Poulnageh, and the sinks beyond. Charlie’s collated data further describes, “ The valley ends at a cliff with a cave entrance at its foot. A steeply descending canyon passage is  choked with mud within the daylight zone”. Optimism aside, the steep ‘cliff’ behind the Ballynalacken School House, and the hole remembered by CMcN, at its base, suggests S.H.S might be under McNamara land. Over tea and caca, EMcN eagerly gave permission to park in his yard, use the garage and facilities, create a path to the stream bed and dig. Bliss, after these six weeks of enforced recuperation, demanded by the surgeon - unable to trust the patient not to resume his addiction prematurely.

Reviewing the map references, entrance locations become questionable. The map ref taken on the 11th October, at a point where the stream channel is deep, perhaps three metres below the ford, is a contender for an entrance, quite what cave it is remains to be seen.

Pat Cronin

​