Post date: Apr 18, 2016 2:21:44 PM

The rediscovery of Tryan Cave, Co. Fermanagh

Saturday 09 April 2016 / Sunday 17 April 2016 (Trip report by Al)

Al and Magda / Al, Jock and Rob

There is another much greater [cave] on the north side of the cliff of Tryan Mountain, the mouth of which gapes over Florence court. It is in form like a vast Gothic arch shaded all about and up to the top of the cliff with ye, holly, ivy, maidenhair and many choice herbs. And above it are a kind of rustic pilasters, seeming to support other smaller arches of the same form. The cave is in the inner side, dry, lofty and spacious, with many recesses. From the gate of this subterraneous palace, there is a grand prospect of the grand wood that covers the bottom of the hill, and thence forward all of the country; the lake, its islands, and the coast beyond it.

Dean William Henry, 1739

For those who follow the teachings of the 18^th century speleologist, the cave in Tryan Mountain was always something of a mystery, and it was variously assumed to be either a case of mistaken identity on Henry's part, or a misidentification by his later disciples, or to have collapsed, or to have been so densely covered by choice herbs as to be now invisible to cavers of less stature than Henry. It became a mythical promised subterranean land, and was searched for high and low around the cliffs of Trien mountain, and discussed in the hostelries of the district. Pro-Tryaners and Anti-Tryaners emerged. Theories were bandied about, becoming wilder and wilder. Henry was dismissed as a fantasist (and what were those 'choice herbs' he dined upon?). Yet always his exegetists pointed out the accuracy of his other writings on the Fermanagh caves, an accuracy not surpassed until Coleman... So just where was Tryan Cave?

After many years of armchair pontificating about Tryan Cave, i finally decided to do something about it and actually go out and look for the Grail Hole of Fermanagh caves. It would make a nice Sunday dander around the woods. And on the 1:50k map i spotted the name Cove Rock, cove meaning cave, ergo that was surely Tryan cave? Nevermind that Cove Rock was a buttress more or less due west of Trien summit. But i never quite got out of my armchair, and finally sided with the sceptics when an old, hoary caver assured me that he had searched and searched and searched for the cave before retiring from caving in bitter disappointment.

So it was with some surprise that Magda and i chanced across it when we weren't looking for Tryan cave at all, at all. Anyway, there it was, a huge dark shadow lurking behind the trees, in the Cove Rock. As a bonus there were several other dark shadows beside it. The twenty minute scratch through the briars to the cave was worth it, the view was stunning and the arch, while not exactly Gothic, was very definitely architectural (perhaps Egyptian). With only a small torch we looked in a few of the alcoves, and confirmed it was Tryan cave by locating Florencecourt house.*

Following the rescue practice on Saturday 16 April 2016 plans were made for a gentle Sunday caving trip to go and thoroughly explore Tryan cave. From a historical viewpoint it was very satisfying to enter it, and the view from the entrance was sublime. Palatial it was not, so in this Henry erred. Inside the entrance a short scramble led to the back of the alcove. Beside the entrance on the left an enlarged rift provided a pinhole view through the butress, and on the right was a Boho-esque muddy rift series about 10 m long. The other caves further north were smaller and less spectular, but no longer. All were breakdown caves, in one the roof was just about to have another breakdown. There were scatters of small bones and teeth, tufas and various smaller speleothems on the walls, and there may be some archaeological potential (the most recent deposit being a sweet wrapper from 2015). Explorations were continued around the butresses but nothing more came to light. Hugely satisfied we returned home.

*We subsequently found that Dave Scott knew it as Cove Rock Cave and occassionally took groups of students to it.