Aillwee Cave..
The Aillwee Cave is just one of thousands of caves to be found in the Burren area of Ireland (a vast limestone plateau in northeast Co. Clare), but it is the only one of its kind open to the public. The cave is privately owned and maintained by two local families. It is thought to be one of the oldest caves in Ireland, though it was only discovered in the 1940s and first opened to the public as a tourist attraction in 1976. The name comes from the Irish language and translates to 'yellow cliff'.
The Cave's history begins about one million years ago with the Ice Age. This beautiful natural creation was carved out of limestone by melt waters from this time, which gave birth to a river that dried up around fifteen thousand years ago. This river cut right into Aillwee Hill, creating the Cave, which is 1.3 kilometres deep. It was once home to some of Ireland's now extinct Brown Bear population.
For the past ten thousand years or so the only changes inside the Cave have been the slow growth of stalactites and stalagmites, these spectacular natural formations can be seen during guided tours of the Cave, along with various animal remains, waterfalls and other magnificent cave formations. Tours take around 40 minutes and operate all year round. There is also a large gift shop and café onsite. Aillwee Caves are located 35 Kilometres from Ennis, Co. Clare.
Tours run from 09.30 daily. Adults - euro10 Family (2 adults and 2 children) - euro25.00 Students over 18 (with ID) - euro8 OAP - euro8 Children between - euro5
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