Formoyle West Cave

PC had been contacted by John Brown, (Doolin Show Cave owner), who imparted news that Farmer Patsy Corrucan spoke of a hole high above Formoyle, Co. Clare and would like to know more of the site. This turned out to be a previously unrecorded cave.

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3rd August 3, 2017

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JW, CC, TB, Patsy Corrucan, John Brown and PC.      
The team assembled outside O’Donaghues, Fanore, before driving up to the green road that heads north from the Faunarooska crossroads. Passing out the Poulnagollum track the motorcade eventually parked off another green track, before its descent toward the ocean. The Team then walked northward for some fifteen minutes keeping the wall on their left, (west). Cloud base hovered around 900 feet. As the ground began to descend  into the Caher valley, at the second terrace down, a small cairn marks the entrance, some is twenty metres eastward from the wall. JW, already in kit, entered the rift passage, which swiftly lowered to a wet crawl then turned sharply to the west. Here an elongated boulder obstructs progress along the lowering passage.

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27th December 2017

TB and PC
A significant  excavated channel was noted leading from the lowest point of the scrub covered terrace in to the actual entrance. It was decided to include this archaeological feature with the cave survey. The volume of water dripping into the passage was not as previously experienced though the pool was the same size. TB wriggled up to the boulder to establish a survey station, and see beyond; almost three metres distant the passage turns to the left,  decreasing to some 0.2 metres high, and some 0.6 metres wide, (confirmed by PC). To reach this point will require digging out the entire passage floor to facilitate removing the boulder. Unfortunately this will require the digger laying in pool of water whilst digging at the face, (perhaps a focused summer dig?).

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