Dunmore Cave

Dunmore Cave, in Ballyfoyle, Co Kilkenny, is a National Monument with some of Ireland's finest calcite formations. Man has known about the cave, which is made up of a series of chambers formed over millions of years, for centuries. It has a massive and intimidating entrance and was described in folklore as "the mouth of a huge beast, with ten thousand teeth above his head and as many beneath his feet."

The cave, which was first mentioned in the Irish Triads of the ninth century, has a long and illustrious history. Godfry and the Vikings of Dublin raided the cave in 928 AD. During the raid, 1,000 people were slaughtered, and numerous human bones discovered in the cave are believed to be the victims' remains. In Old Irish literature, the cave is known as one of the darkest places in Ireland, and it is said to be where the monster Luchtigern, 'the Lord of the Mice,' was slain. The Dunmore Cave is open to the public and features a visitor center with exhibitions and displays.

Location: Castlecomer Rd, Inchabride, Kilkenny, Ireland