Direction Ireland

Dunmore Cave

Southeast Ireland | County Kilkenny

Dunmore Cave is situated on the Castlecomer plateau, just about 11 km north of Kilkenny. It's relatively small if compare with other Irish caves. It has about 400 m of passages and reaches a depth of about 50 m. This limestone cave has many interesting calcite formation as stalactites and stalagmites. The Market Cross Chamber has a huge, almost 6 m tall cross-shaped stalagmite. In the old Irish legend Dunmore Cave (called in Irish "Dearc Fearna") is known as one of three darkest places in Ireland. In the chronicles of medieval Irish history, Annals of the Four Masters, the cave was recorded as the site of a great Viking massacre in 928 AD, where 1000 people died. During the excavations in the 1970s, bones of adults and children were found as well as many Viking coins. Since 1967, Dunmore Cave is open to the public and is the only one in Ireland which is in State care. There are also tea rooms and a visitor centre.

• OPENING HOURS :
  • March - May:
    • Daily: 9:30 - 17
    • Last admission 16:00
  • June - August:
    • Daily: 9:30am – 18
    • Last admission 17:00
  • September, October:
    • Daily: 9:30 - 17
    • Last admission 16:00
  • November - February:
    • Wed - Sun: 9:30 - 17
    • Last admission 16:00
• TICKET PRICES :
  • Adult: €5
  • Child/Student: €3
  • Group/Senior: €4
  • Family: €13
• CONTACT :
  • Phone: +353 (56) 776 7726
  • Email: dunmorecaves@opw.ie
• COORDINATES :
  • 52.734079
  • -7.247344
• CAR PARK :
  • Yes