Crag Cave, Castleisland, Tralee, County Kerry
Crag Cave is an all-weather visitor attraction located to the North of Killarney and 2km from the town of Castleisland. Crag Cave is named after the town of Crag and runs under the town of Castleisland itself. One of the largest cave systems in Ireland, it is made up of complex limestone passages and chambers that have been given names taken from JRR Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. The totalled surveyed length is 3.8km which puts it in the top ten longest caves in Ireland.
A million years old
In 1983, divers were searching for the source of a local river and discovered the beginnings of the cave which are now believed to be more than a million years old. 300m of the cave were subsequently opened to the public in 1989 and now visitors are wowed by unusual and dramatic underground scenery enhanced by dramatic light and sound effects.
Rock formations
Remarkable rock formations can be seen including a large, wine bottle-shaped stalagmite in the ‘Kitchen Cave’ and a stalagmite shaped like a statue of the Madonna as well as the ‘Crystal Gallery’ with its thousands of straw-thin stalactites.
Guided tour
Admission is by guided tour only and tours leave every 20 minutes and take about half an hour to complete. A craft shop, restaurant and coffee shop as well as children’s indoor play area complete the Cave Centre attraction.