I9IO. MABERI.Y. — A Few Notes on the Cave of Cloyne. 45 



swallow-holes similarly filled up near it ; consequently the 

 present entrance must be sought for in the cliff before-men- 

 tioned, after passing down a wooded slope and crossing a low 

 stone wall. 



Some fifty yards w^est of this entrance, in front of the cliff 

 before-mentioned, stands a limestone block, known as " The 

 Headless Coach." Local tradition declares this to be an en- 

 chanted vehicle, which formerly, drawn by headless horses, 

 and driven by an acephalic coachman, paid nightly and un- 

 welcome visits to those houses in the town where a death was 

 imminent, and returning to the cave was again turned into 

 stone. Behind this rock is a very narrow entrance to one of 

 the finest galleries in the cave, which also forms the most 

 direct route to the "Altar," of which more hereafter. 



That part of the cave visited was found to consist of a 

 number of low roofed chambers, together with an apparent 

 maze of connecting passages. 



I say " apparent," because a short study shows that these 

 have resulted from the widening of fissures in the limestone ; 

 these run at right angles to each other, consequently the 

 maze really consists of a number of passages having an 

 approximately N.N.K.-S.S.W., and E.S.H.-W.N.W. (magnetic) 

 direction. 



This fact when appreciated helps the explorer considerably, 

 for when progress is barred, one can so to speak, turn down 

 a side lane into the next street, and continue one's original 

 direction. 



Unfortunately from the sightseer's point of view the cave 

 is disappointing ; here are no lofty vaults, no glittering icicles 

 or translucent veils of stalactite, no marble-like stalagmite 

 shafts, but everything is covered with a dull pall of deposited 

 mud, for Cloyne lies in a valley, the gradient in the caves 

 is ver}^ slight, and the w^inter floods stagnate for lengthened 

 periods, the flood marks standing six feet high on the sides of 

 the cave in places. No part of the cave visited seemed more 

 than nine feet high. 



The entrance, like those to so man}" of these caves, lies at 

 the foot of a low limestone cliff, and looks like a large rabbit 

 burrow ; it slopes sharply down, and is so low that it must 

 be passed by lying flat and "squirming " through ; once past 

 this point it is possible to stand upright, but another dozen 

 paces reveal a hole, somew^hat larger than a cycle w^heel, and 



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