Post date: Jun 5, 2017 10:37:54 AM
Rob, Rocky, Jock 03JUN2017 (~9 hours)
The Passage approaching the sump at the bottom of Carrowmore caverns has to be one of the finest caving exercises to be found in Sligo. It is an excellent sporting trip to reach the inviting, crystal clear (and inconclusive?) sump at -145 m. Only 40 odd meters of rope is needed to reach the bottom.. the other 100m of depth is gained via a series of excellent crawls, squeezes and free climbs through deep layers of chert bedding, with the cave increasing into more impressive dimensions past a number of short water falls towards the bottom. The ULSA survey notes that the total surveyed length of the Carrowmore is ~540 meters, but it certainly feels a lot longer and can be fairly demanding in places. It would definitely be worth some further surveying to include two known extensions, one of which is reported to be a few hundred metres to a (undescended?) pitch leading off from somewhere amongst the boulders in the Seighmairbaun entrance chamber. Another extension was made in a rift above the final waterfall pitch during a Shannon crew visit back in 2012. There are a number of other prospects at several points in the cave that would also warrant some further attention and a good poke with a crowbar.
Rob and I left Rocky and Emi to head off for the north coast at around half past 3 in the afternoon after some photographing in the entrance chamber. We stopped for a or a couple of photos in bridge chamber, before reaching the sump with about 2 hours to go before our 9pm call out. A slow race to the surface with heavy bags saw us out to daylight just in time to catch a stunningly beautiful summer sunset and an interesting chat with the farmer. We were 10 minutes later than planned for our call out but happily the guards services were not required.
I also took a look into Pollnagollum earlier in the afternoon and can confirm that this entrance and direct pitch into Carrowmore/Seighmairbaun is definitely open and accessible, albeit tentatively across a rubbish heap of dubious vintage. The worst of the rubbish can be avoided by sticking to the left hand wall of the entrance sink.. laying plank or two across the hollow slag heap would be helpful. I wasn’t able to find any bolts at the top of the pitch head but it would be well worth equipping this pitch for a mini through trip and alternative entrance.
Carrowmore caverns (and the whole surrounding area) are definitely worth a more methodical Largy’esq investigation effort. At -145 meters Carrowmore is the 3rd deepest cave in Ireland, there may well be potential for undiscovered sites higher up the hill that could approach more significant Irish depth record. I found 3 other open (and unrecorded) sinks several hundred metres north west of the Pollnagollum entrance earlier in the day but didn’t have time to push them.
jock