I had never been to a cave before last Friday, so visiting the Marble Arch Cave in Northern Ireland was, for me, even more amazing than some of Ireland’s much more famous sites, like the Cliffs of Moher.
Our tour of the cave was lead by a smart yet nonchalant local college student, who kept it interesting by mixing “geology talk” with “cave culture.” For example, he showed us formations along the ceiling called curtains, which form when water runs horizontally instead of dripping straight down. The nickname for the curtains, though, was based on their obvious resemblance to a well-loved food: streaky bacon.
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| “Streaky Bacon” on the cave ceiling. |
Another interesting part about the cave tour was that some of the points of interest were natural while others were man-made. The “Moses walk” was a bridge named after Moses’ Biblical parting of the waters because the walls and floor and sunken down, so that we felt like we were walking through the water. Our trip ended at the cave’s longest stalactite, which is two meters long, or 200,000 years old.
It was an early morning and a long drive to get there, but I’m definitely glad that I got to see the Marble Arch Caves before I left Ireland, because they were unlike anything I’ve seen before. They’re not nearly as famous as some other Irish sites, and they’re out in the middle of nowhere, so seeing the caves is one experience that is kept secret from most tourists here. But whether you’re in Stephen’s Earth Science class or are just interested in natural history, make sure to visit the Marble Arch Caves when you get the chance!
Rachel Salois – Champlain College Class of 2012