Earth Science Conservation Review
| East Cuilcagh - Pigeon Pots | Fermanagh |
| Site Type: | Cave, Pothole, Sinkhole |
| Site Status: | ASSI |
| Council area: | Fermanagh District Council |
| Grid Reference: | H156305 |
| Google maps: | 54.22365,-7.76081 |
| Rocks | |
|---|---|
| Rock Age: | Quaternary (Holocene) |
| Rock Type: | Limestone |
| Interest | |
| Other interest: | fault, rift, pothole, sinkhole |
Summary of site:
The pots are all separate descents along the length of a single rift, possibly a minor fault, in the Dartry Limestone Formation. The top of the rift is in the Cloghany Limestone Member of the formation.
Pigeon Pot No. 2 is the deepest and most extensive, and is at the southern end of the rift. A stream enters a narrow cleft before cascading down the12m of the first pitch to the floor of a stream passage trending north east. This leads on to a second shaft, around 25m deep, that ends in a rift chamber with the stream pouring from the roof and draining through the floor. There is a 40m crawl at this level. About half way down the second pitch a traverse along a short ledge enters a small passage, leading to the third pitch of 21m that ends in a fissure chamber almost directly below the first shaft. This is completely blocked.
On the far side of the top of the third pitch (originally entered by swimming across the void in flood conditions!), a further 60m of rift passage reaches two chambers. A fourth pitch from the floor of this rift is 18m deep but again is blocked by boulders and peat.
Pigeon Pot No. 3 descends a steep grassy slope to a 24m pitch into the north-south trending rift that pinches out to the south. To the north there is a good chamber rising from the foot of the pitch.
Pigeon Pot No. 1 is substantially filled by fallen rock, forming a ridge of scree. An 8m descent reaches the top of the ridge with scree descending under an overhang for a further 25m.
Pigeon Pot No. 2 is the deepest and most extensive, and is at the southern end of the rift. A stream enters a narrow cleft before cascading down the12m of the first pitch to the floor of a stream passage trending north east. This leads on to a second shaft, around 25m deep, that ends in a rift chamber with the stream pouring from the roof and draining through the floor. There is a 40m crawl at this level. About half way down the second pitch a traverse along a short ledge enters a small passage, leading to the third pitch of 21m that ends in a fissure chamber almost directly below the first shaft. This is completely blocked.
On the far side of the top of the third pitch (originally entered by swimming across the void in flood conditions!), a further 60m of rift passage reaches two chambers. A fourth pitch from the floor of this rift is 18m deep but again is blocked by boulders and peat.
Pigeon Pot No. 3 descends a steep grassy slope to a 24m pitch into the north-south trending rift that pinches out to the south. To the north there is a good chamber rising from the foot of the pitch.
Pigeon Pot No. 1 is substantially filled by fallen rock, forming a ridge of scree. An 8m descent reaches the top of the ridge with scree descending under an overhang for a further 25m.
| Enlander, I., Dempster, M. & Doughty, P., 2024. East Cuilcagh - Pigeon Pots, County Fermanagh, site summary. [In] Earth Science Conservation Review. https://www.habitas.org.uk/escr/summary.php?item=327. Accessed on 2024-12-26 |
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