The village of Cong, Co Mayo, is known for many things, including its beautiful scenery, its role in the famous Hollywood film The Quiet Man and its rich history.
A site that is usually overlooked by tourists is Pigeon Hole Cave. Located deep in the Pigeon Hole Woods, the limestone cave is located between Lough Corrib and Lough Mask
It is known as Poll na gColum among the locals and visitors must make a rather daunting, steep set of concrete steps to the cave.
The cave gets its name from its most common visitors, pigeons. However, locals and history buffs will know that there is another creature closely associated with the cave.
According to legend, it is home to a sacred fish known as “the fairy trout”.
According to legend, a local young woman was destined to marry the son of a king but the prince was murdered before they could marry. The girl’s heart went crazy with grief and then disappeared without a trace. It is said that he was abducted by fairies.
Soon, a strange white trout arrived in the stream that still flows through the cave. She was rumored to be a fairy and revered.
A soldier, determined to spread the legend, catches the fish and tries to eat it. But the moment his knife hit it, it transformed back into a woman.
Terrified, the soldier threw the woman back into the water, the water turning crimson, from the bleeding knife wound. At once he became a trout. Some people say that a white trout with a small scar still swims in the stream to this day.
Whether you believe the legend or not, Pigeon Hole Cave is an amazing site of natural limestone erosion. It’s an easy stop-off on the Pigeon Hole Loop Walk, which takes visitors through the beautiful surrounding woods.
Even at ground level, the terrain of the woods is rough and unpredictable and care is recommended for anyone walking, especially if they are descending the steps to the cave.
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