244 



Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



Length of passages in Old Gave : — 



Entrance via Low Arch and Long Tunnel to Three 



tiered Pillar, .... 

 Three-tiered Pillar to West Chamber, 

 Length of West Chamber, 

 Three-tiered Pillar to East Chamber, 

 Length of East Chamber, 



Length of Side Passages, 



Total Passages in Old Cave, 



1 LO ± 



uree- 



. 105 



yds. 



. 



. 10 



„ 





. 60 



)) 





. 52 



5> 



• 



. 123 



J) 





350 yds. 



• 



. 129 



» 



479 yds. 



HiSTOEY OF THE NeW CAVE. 



The New Cave was accidentally discovered on May 3rd, 1833, by a labourer 

 named Condon and two boys during quarrying operations for limestone. 

 Mention is made of this discovery in the Dublin Penny Journcd, August 31st, 

 1833,' and the account is accompanied by a sketch, 



A more circumstantial account with three engravings is given in the same 

 publication, December 27th, 1834,^ by Mr. Nichol, who describes a visit to 

 the cave. Nichol speaks of the " Middle Cave," and describes the stalactites 

 minutely, so that it is possible to identify this chamber with the one now 

 known as the House of Lords. 



It is interesting to note that many of the names still given by the guide 

 to the various chambers, passages, and stalactites are those noted by 

 Nichol in his paper. He describes the Four Courts, and Lot's Wife (a 

 stalactite in Sadlier's Cave), and mentions the beauties of the Kingston 

 Gallery. During the visit the guide led him to a part of the cave difficult 

 of access, and known as the " New Discovery." Nichol states that to reach 

 this point crawling was necessary, and huge rocks blocked the way; but 

 eventually they entered a chamber which contained very fine formations, 

 including a pillar in the centre and curtained crystallizations on the left. 

 This chamber is evidently the one now known as O'Leary's Cave, but no 

 mention is made of it by Dr. Apjohn; neither is it included in his plan. 



In the same number of the Duhlin Penny Journal there is another 

 account in which The Eiver is mentioned as a pool of limpid water. The 

 writer also notes the Bedchamber, a round hole forming the entrance to a 

 side passage from Sadlier's Cave, and several small pools of water. He 



1 Lublin Penny Journal, ii., No. 61, 65-6. Aug. 31, 1833. 



2 I)ublin Penny Journal, iii.,No. 130. Dec. 27, 1834. 



