Aillwee Cave
The Aillwee Cave ( Irish : Pluaiseanna na hAille Buí ) is a show cave that is located about 30 kilometers south of Galway not far from Ballyvaughan on the west side of Ireland in the karst of the Burren area of County Clare . The cave was discovered by chance in 1940 by the Irish farmer Jacko McGann. His initials can still be found here and there in the cave. The Gaelic name, Aillwee ( An Aill Bhuí ) means "yellow cliff". The explorer kept his secret to himself and only told others about the cave before his death in the 1970s.
A group of researchers from Bristol University, led by Edgar Kingsley Tratman, then examined the cave. During this research, the bones of the brown bear were discovered. In addition, old sleeping places of the animal were found. Scientists assume that the animal must have hibernated there.
The cave has been open to the public since 1976. The visitor can walk 1.3 kilometers through the cave on a tour. Here are stalactites and stalagmites shown and explained their origin. Furthermore, the tour leads past underground waterfalls.
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Coordinates: 53 ° 5 ′ 22 " N , 9 ° 8 ′ 45" W.