06/09/2026
We have not had a day trip in a while.
According to Irish folklore, the cave is home to a sacred trout known as “the fairy trout,” who, as the legend goes, eluded capture by avoiding bait. A lovely young woman was set to marry a king’s son, but the prince was assassinated before they were married, according to the story.Downloading Interactive Geographic Maps
The young lady, heartbroken, went insane with anguish and then vanished without a trace. She was said to have been abducted by fairies. Soon after a white trout arrived in the cave’s underground river. It was rumoured that she was a fairy, and was treated with reverence.
A soldier, on the other hand, arrived to put the rumours to the test and caught the trout for his dinner. He slid it into the pan, but the fish failed to cook. Despite the fact that the fish would not cook, he opted to eat it nonetheless. As soon as he touched the fish with his knife, it shrieked, leapt from the pan to the floor, and transformed into a lovely young lady.
The woman revealed that she was in the river waiting for her true love. She requested that he abandon his evil ways and return her to the river. The woman vanished in the blink of an eye, leaving a little white fish in her wake.
The soldier hurriedly plated the trout and dashed to the cave to reintroduce her to the river. The water turned blood crimson for a brief moment after he did so. It is reported that a white fish with a small scar where it was sliced can still be found swimming in the sunny area of the river.
The cave is also said the be the fridge for the monks - long walk and treacherous steps! The Abbey ruins have some really lovely stone carvings and well worth a walk around - the fisherman’s cottage too before you cross the bridge to the woodland walk. It’s 4K on really level ground.
Parking is a bit of a nightmare so early arrival is a positive - and great coffee and cakes.
