One of our favourite destinations on the West Coast are The Burren National Park and Aillwee Cave in County Clare. The Burren is famous for its landscape of exposed limestone bedrock, rare plants and unique habitats. In addition, the scenery on this part of the Wild Atlantic Way is quite simply spectacular.
Access to the Park is free. You can hike the five marked walking trails or avail of the free guided walking tours. But rambling in the Burren deserves its own post. Here we share how to see the dramatic underworld of this area. Because as magnificent as the Burren is above ground, you should not miss exploring the unusual formations below. Aillwee Cave is a way for visitors to gain an understanding of what’s going on under the limestone.
The History of Aillwee Cave
When the cave was first explored, it contained over 400 animal bones. Among them, a bear skull that was carbon dated to be 10,400 years old. At that time, in the Early Mesolithic period, the Burren was home to nomadic hunter gatherers. But bears would not have been able to survive in such an open setting as we know the Burren to be today. Imagine, therefore, a time when it was not the fascinating exposed limestone landscape but a mountainous forest!
Population of Ireland was very low 10,000 years ago, possibly under 1,000 people on the entire island. Besides, there is no suggestion that we could find that these ancient ancestors knew the Aillwee cave system. They didn’t live in permanent settlements but moved in the environment in groups following seasonal food sources. The bear was but a boy, between 1.5 and 5 years old. Perhaps it was using the cave for hibernation and died there?
A Second Bear In Aillwee Cave
Equally important, a different brown bear bone from the cave, this time an adult leg bone, dates at 4,600 years old. This brings us into the Late Neolithic period when megalithic tombstones were built. Think of Newgrange Passage Tomb in County Meath or Carrowmore Megalithic Cemetery in County Sligo on the Wild Atlantic Way.
Not far from Aillwee Cave is the large Poulnabrone dolmen. It is a full millennium older than the adult Aillwee bear. Nevertheless, Poulnabrone would still have been a sacred ritual place when this bear roamed around the Burren. The bear leg bone has chop marks. It seems therefore that humans butchered the carcass with tools. Either in the cave, or, more likely, elsewhere and another animal that used the cave as its den brought it there.
How Was The Cave Discovered?
A local farmer, Jacko McGann, happened upon Aillwee Cave in 1944 when he went after his dog chasing a rabbit. It seems that Jack was not the chatty type as he did not share his finding with anyone. Not for 29 years! Until cavers were exploring in the area in 1973 and enquired among the locals about caverns they may know of. Only then did Jack share his find.
I like to think of Mr McGann as the quiet type of a chap, who perhaps longed for a place of solitude and reflection. Perhaps a father of a cackle of children, I imagine him yearning for some quiet time to himself. He would come here with his dog to maybe smoke his pipe in peace away from everyone. A literal man-cave! In my romantic imagining, he had told his wife about the tranquil space in the side of the mountain and they came here together to read the Sunday papers.
Shortly after, in 1976, the cave was developed as a tourist site open to the public.
What Is Aillwee Cave Known For?
The cave is best known, perhaps, as the ancient home of brown bears, now extinct in Ireland. The remains of two bears were found here and therefore it took the bear as its iconic symbol.
Apparently, it is one of the oldest caves in the country. Its spectacular rock formations provide a view into the amazing world under our feet.
Moreover, it’s a place full of wonder, beauty and discovery. It’s a popular tourist attraction that caters for families really well.
How Long Is The Tour And Is It Worth It?
The cave tour takes cca 30-40 minutes. The paths are well-lit with handrails at all necessary places when needed. We have been here several times and the tour guides were always friendly and knowledgeable. You can tell they love spelunking! What’s more, depending on the makeup of the group, they can adjust the tour to fit the mood. For example from educational for school trips to fun for a family day out. Overall, the guided tour is easy and completely safe.
Along the trail you’ll see beautiful caverns, bridged chasms, a crashing waterfall that might spray water on you as well as graceful stalagmites (growing up from the floor) and stalactites (growing down from the ceiling). All these unique wonders have been eons in the making. If you are the philosophical type, this is the place to ponder the vastness of time and Earth, and how one shapes the other. It is quite moving, actually.
If going into the heart of a mountain without the worry of getting lost or slipping into a dark cavern appeals to you, you can’t go wrong with Aillwee. It is a brilliant place for any aspiring spelunker or a fully-fledged cave romantic. There are many options on the Irish West Coast and Ailwee Cave is one of the best. We suggest bringing a light jacket as the temperature inside the caverns is lower than outside.
So yes, visiting Aillwee Cave is definitely worth it. It allows an astonishing peek into the colossal internal workings of our planet and at the dramatic underworld of the Burren.
How Do You Get To Aillwee Cave?
The cave itself is part of the Aillwee Burren Experience, which combines visiting Aillwee Cave, Birds of Prey Centre, cheese making dairy, rock climbing, and archery lessons in the Summer months. It lies just off the N67, turn off onto R480, about 26km from Ennistymon, 24km from Doolin and 5km from Ballyvaughan. The visitor attraction is very well signposted.
What Facilities Are There?
Once you enter the Experience Centre, you can park here or keep driving up the hill. Aillwee Cave is about halfway up and there is a second, smaller, car park at its entrance. Parking is free in both areas. We prefer parking below and walking up the gentle mountain. The well-marked footpaths lead through a lovely biodiversity woodland with information boards on the plant, animal and insect species you might spot along the trail. It takes about 15 leisurely minutes to walk up to the cave entrance.
There is a café, local produce shop and outdoor picnic tables at the lower car park, as well as toilets. Near the upper car park then is a smaller coffee shop, a gift and souvenir shop, and more outdoor picnic tables and loos.
Aillwee Burren Experience Ticket Prices And Hours
Open daily from 10am with the last cave tour leaving at 5pm.
Birds of Prey Centre flying displays daily at 11.30am, 1.30pm and 3.30pm (weather dependent).
Tickets for cave tours: Adults E25, Student and Seniors E23, child 5-16yrs E15, children under 5 are free.
Family tickets for cave tours: Family of 2 adults, 1 child E59. E10 extra for every child after one on a family ticket.
Hawk walk and cave tour: E105
See attraction’s site for up to date information: Aillwee Burren Experience