Grey Water Hole

Location

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Drive west from O'Connor's Bar, after twenty metres turn right, up the narrow lane. This lane makes repeated right angled turns almost every one hundred metres. So, directions are; upon entering the lane, after the first one hundred metres it turns right. The next turn is to the left: the next to the right, and finally turn right again. Doonmacfelim Castle is now in front to your left. This narrow lane descends to the river; please park in this constricted area with due consideration for the working farm entrance. Walk to the river and turn downstream, after some forty metres, tucked into the south bank, beneath a small tree, is the tiny entrance: descent is impossible even if the smallest amount of water is entering the pothole. The taste of greasy grey water provided the name.

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Historical

7th June 2007     Falling water heard by PC whilst walking along the, almost, dry river bed of the Aille, downstream from Doonmacfelim Castle, Fisherstreet, Doolin.

 
11th June     CC and PC cleared away a minor amount of clay to uncover a small irregular hole that opened into the top of a rift, which could be seen to enlarge immediately beneath the  river bed. 

13th June     KJ and PC enlarged the hole using hammer and chisel enough to squeeze down: only five millimetres of river flow was overflowing into the pot, however this was sufficient to cause breathing difficulties at the bottom, also obscuring the choked bedding plane.

 
14th June     KJ and PC returned with sand bags, and digging gear; the increased river level was stemmed sufficient to negotiate the tight entrance and commence digging out cobbles. After only seven large buckets the debris was removed exposing the bedding plane and clearing the entire floor of the pot. The one foot high bedding soon reduced to only seven inches high. A large stream was flowing north to south in the bedding, across the base of the pot, toward Doolin River Cave.

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Description:

A very snug entrance in the limestone bed of the River Aille opens into the top of a narrow east-west rift, some four metres deep.  At the bottom a bedding plane has developed at almost right angles to the Aille river above; the stream flowing south. The bedding is too small to pursue in either direction. Dry conditions, sand bags and an electron ladder are required to explore safely.

                                       

NB:

                                                                   
1).    Adjacent properties irregularly experience  conical collapses in the sand overburden, which can be up to ten metres in depth. The conical collapses vary in depth and diameter.

2).    A  local  informed PC of a deep flooded pothole in the bed of the river on the northern bank, some forty odd metres upstream from this site, (2013).

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