Mayo Gems: Cong’s Pigeon Hole Cave

WITH the Covid-19 restrictions set to continue for sometime yet and the opportunity for national or overseas holidays well into the future, Tom Gillespie focuses on the some gem locations in Mayo, where, hopefully, readers can visit post coronavirus. Each week he'll focus on some well known and also lesser known spots to visit in the county when our freedom to travel is restored. First up, Tom brings us to Cong.

THE quaint village of Cong is famed for its cross, as the location for the iconic film The Quiet Man, the five-star Ashford Castle, and Cong canal, built after the famine years.

However, many may not be aware of the Pigeon Hole, or Poll na gColum, a cave located between Lough Corrib and Lough Mask just outside of the village.

There is a steep flight of limestone steps (pictured) which lead down to the mouth of the cave, a fairly large chasm over 12-feet wide and with a subterranean stream running through. It’s a popular spot where pigeons nest, hence the name.

There is an Irish legend which states that the cave is home to a sacred trout, ‘the fairy trout’, which, according to legend, avoided bait and evaded capture.

The story told is that a beautiful young woman was set to marry a king’s son, but the prince was murdered before they were wed.

Heartbroken, the young lady went mad with despair and then disappeared unexpectedly. It was believed she was taken away by the fairies.

After a while, a white trout appeared in the subterranean river of the cave. It was fabled to be a fairy, and given the utmost respect.

However, a soldier came to put the rumours to the test and caught the trout to fry for his dinner. He placed it on the pan, but the fish would not cook. Although the fish would not cook, he decided to eat the fish anyway. As he put his knife to the fish, it screamed, leaped from the pan to the floor, and transformed into a beautiful young woman.

The woman explained that she was waiting for her true love in the river. She demanded he renounce his evil courses and take her back to the river. In the blink of an eye, the woman disappeared and in her place lay a small, white trout.

The soldier quickly put the trout on a plate and rushed to the cave to put her back into the river. When he did, the river turned blood red momentarily. To this day it is said that one can find a white trout, with a little scar where it was cut, swimming in the sunny part of the river.

The Cong woods walk is over unchallenging easy terrain but care is needed descending into the cave. A map is not needed - just follow the red arrows.

Starting from the map board opposite the tourist office follow the blue (and red and green) arrows through the main doorway of Cong Abbey, 10m to the left of the map board. The red arrow is for the longer Pigeon Hole Loop; the green arrow for a linear trail to the village of Clonbur.

After the doorway veer right around the cloister lawn and cross the first footbridge over the Cong River. Continue across a second (and larger) footbridge which crosses the main body of the river and enter Cong Woods. This is the point from where the loop ‘proper’ begins - you will return to this point from the left, but for now turn right.

You will end up following a forestry track through a tunnel (under the Cong-Cornamona road) and onwards to reach the Pigeon Hole Cave. Take the time to visit the cave - it’s well worth the descent.

Shortly after the cave, going left at a three-way junction, you'll pass a number of points of interest (including the Priest’s House, the Guinness Tower, and Teach Aille).

If you would like to recommend a hidden gem, email gillespietom49@gmail.com.