Pol an Ionain

Pol an Ionain (or Poll-an-Ionain) is a cave near Doolin in County Clare, Ireland, on the western edge of The Burren. It is the location of one of the world's longest known free-hanging stalactites, 7.3m (23 feet) in length.cite web | title=The Great Stalactite | work=Doolin Cave | url=http://www.doolincave.ie/ | accessdate=2008-06-28] At nearly 25ft long, it is the longest in western Europe. [cite web | title=The Burren: Caves in the Burren | work=Clare County Library | url=http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/places/the_burren/burren_caves.htm | accessdate=2008-06-28] It is marketed as Doolin Cave.cite web | title=Poll an Ionain | work=Doolin, County Clare, Ireland | url=http://www.doolinireland.net/doolin_cave/doolin_cave.html | accessdate=2008-06-28]

Name

"Poll an Ionain" is the anglicised version of the Irish name "Poll an Eidhneáin", which is said to translate into the 'Ivy Cliff Cave'.

History

The cave was discovered in 1952 by J.M. Dickenson and Brian Varley of Craven Pothole Club, an English caving club based in the Yorkshire Dales. In 1990, the land on which the cave is located, was purchased by John and Helen Browne. After an extended period of court proceedings, financing and development, the cave was opened to the public as a show cave in 2006.

References