^.4 The Irish Naturalist > March, 



A FEW NOTEvS ON THE CAVE OF CLOYNE. 



BV F. HYDE MABERIvY, M.D. 



The Cave of Cloyne, while low and devoid of spectacular 

 interest, merits more attention than has hitherto been paid it, 

 on account of its extent, which is comparable to that of 

 Mitchelstown Old Cave. Mitchelstown New Cave, according 

 to the map published last year\ is contained within a 

 rectangular area of 400 by 300 yards. Mitchelstown Old 

 Cave according to the same authority would be contained in 

 an area of about 225 by 160 yards. 



Cloyne Cave so far as the writer has been able to judge from 

 an imperfect exploration, would require an area of about 200 

 by 200 yards to contain it, and may stretch for a greater 

 distance. 



The only reference to it I have come across is in Smith's 

 History of Cork, 1893, p. m. *' At the end of the Garden," 

 i.e., the bishop's, ** is what we call the Rock Shrubbery, a walk 

 leading under young trees, among sequestered crags of lime- 

 stone, which hang many feet above our heads, and ending at 

 the mouth of a cave of unknown length and depth, branching 

 to a great distance under the earth, and sanctified l)y a thou- 

 sand wild traditions, and which I have no doubt, sheltered the 

 first wild inhabitants of the town itself, ' Cluain ' being the 

 Irish name for a cave or place of retirement." 



This account is by Dr. Bennett, Bishop of Cloyne, 1794- 

 1820. The cave lies beneath a field, on the north side of the 

 road which runs from Cloyne Round Tower, past the old 

 bishop's garden, and about a quarter of a mile from the town. 



The west side of the field is bounded by the garden wall, 

 that next the road is bordered by an irregular row of trees, 

 and contains some narrow openings, leading into low passages, 

 which doubtless communicate with the remainder of the cave, 

 but are too low to make it advisable to start an exploration 

 from this spot, unless one has plenty of time on one's hands. 



The north boundary is a hedge standing on a low limestone 

 cliff. 



Crossing the field from the road, one notices a blocked-up 

 swallow-hole in the middle, one of several former entrances 

 which have been carefully filled up ; there are two smaller 



1 Hill, Brodrick. anrl Rule, Proc Foyal Irisfi Academy, vol. xxvii. 



