I'd like to say thank you to both clubs DUSAC and Aughinish, Stephen and Martin in particular and to all who came to watch and listen my talks in Dublin and Limerick for the oportunity to present the results of our exploration in 2007-09. I'm constantly being amazed how much interest it draws considering the fact that more than often I have to force myself to get up from cosy bed on Sat morning (which I never really do anyway, it just fits here fine as a some kind figure of speech) and drag my gear to those dark and wet holes ...
In a bus on my way from Limerick I had a sudden gush of guilt that the last year passed somehow wasted due to my lack of organisation, recklessness in Aghinrawn etc., etc. so I grabbed a pen and quickly drafted a summary of cave diving exploits in Ireland in last three years. And it came as a some surprise that 2009 was actually a fantastic year, kilometres of virgin passages were discovered and new connections were forged.
2007
Pollduagh - Churn traverse completed by Jonathan White, John Sherry and Jim Warny
Breakthrough in Pollaloughabo, the same team found the way on
In Doolin, Hell Complex and The Reef Caves were connected
2008
Polldeelin resurgence pushed to 850m an -45m of depth
New cave Pollonora 10 found and pushed to 810m and -52m
Pollaloughabo pushed to 1400m by Jim Warny
Pollatoomary, dived to -103, became the deepest sump in Ireland and Britain
Polltoophill explored for the first time
Major extension in Shannon Cave behind the final sump - Chris Jewell and Simon Cornhill
Mermaid's Hole was pushed to 1025m mostly by digging under the water
2009
Northern Way found in the north linking Aghinrawn and Sruh Croppa caves, with Al Kennedy
Blackwater Sink - Pollduagh traverse completed (over 1km) - Jim Warny
Over 1km cave found in ...county Monaghan, with Al Kennedy
Shannon Pot revealed its long inaccessible and tantalising underwater cavern
Polltoophill pushed to 1070m and -62m
Poulnacapple pushed from 365m to 1500m and -71m
Moran's Cave extended from 560m to 1500m
Marble Arch system connected with Prod's/Cascades - 9km system
Few hundred metres of passages added in Pollnagollum, the longest Irish cave
New sumps found in Shannon Cave
It's been great to participate in most of these projects and to realise, step by step that Ireland indeed has one of the most unique system of underwater caves in Europe.
The plans for 2010 are inevitably big and that's the way they should be - if we plan small we might never find out what potential sleeps inside of us (and underground:)). If sometimes we crash against hard floor of reality, ah well, I'm not saying we're invincible but at least I know we tried...
Next week Al and I are off to the north, chasing some illusive, yet most likely one of the most extensive underground system in Ireland yet to be found - Reyfad Master Cave. For last few months Shannon Group members were stabilising a dreadful, hanging death boulder choke to let us divers access the unfinished and ongoing sump 1km inside the cave. Report soon!!!
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