Poll Gonzo

This is a newly-discovered pot on the Burren adding to the other few mostly vertical caves already known. Simon had been talking to one of the diggers, Robin Sheen, an British caver from Nottingham who has lived in the area for over thirty years and knows Simon and he had invited us to see the new cave.
So, after breakfast, we had an earlier then usual start on the worst day for weather so far with almost constant drizzle and mist, and left Doolin at 10:25 to meet Robin as arranged at 11:00 at Cassidy's pub at Carron. Karen, Keith and myself travelled as usual in my car, with Simon and Shari making a detour to pick up a drill bit from UBSS's Dr. Boycott the way and also Boyd who wasn't going caving but came along to see the entrance to the cave.
Once Robin had arrived with a young Irish caver from Dublin named Rowena, we continued down the road for a mile or so and parked at a pull-off by a farm gate where there was room for four cars.
After getting changed, we walked across the fields for maybe 3/4 of a mile to find the cave entrance among bushes and scrubland. Robin mentioned that there were two Bronze Age Wedge Tombs nearby and he often looks for caves near such Bronze age features.
The diggers had made a short stairway with five or so steps using wood and rubble from the dig leading into the small depression which Robin believes is the bottom half of a chamber which had the top half removed during the Ice Age.
On the right-hand side was a short drop beneath a conglomeration of small rocks, boulders and rubble with scaffolding leading to two more short drops and then a final linger drop to where they have been digging recently. It was just after Noon as Keith was asked to nip down and collect a crowbar which Robin wanted so that he could try and remove a boulder in the main part of the cave and Simon and myself poked our heads in to have a look followed by Karen.
On the opposite side of the depression, again down a short drop to a flat floor, again beneath a mixture of mud, rocks and boulders, leading to the top of a climb-down after 4 metres or so. We started into this section of the cave saying “good-bye” to Boyd. The climb-down was equipped with an electron ladder although Robin said it was free-climable. The others climbed down the narrowish rift to a wider section some 8 metres below. I started to climb down but was concerned that I might have problems coming up again as I had felt sharp pains in my shoulder muscles as we walked over to the entrance.
I decided to not risk it and shouted down to Karen that I would return to the car. Rats.
I got changed and snoozed in the car and then at 15:30 heard voices as the others returned saying they had enjoyed the cave but had gotten very wet in the lower parts due to a waterfall on the lower pitch.
After they had got changed, we headed back to Cassidy's pub to have a Guinness and then back to Lisdoonvarna to shop for brad rolls and then Doolin with the drizzle still falling.
In the evening for a change, Karen Keith and I ate in Maganns' and Phil Walker found us there. Before the music started we wandered down the orad to the newer pub in Doolin, Fitzpatricks, where we knew part of “Foolin' in Doolin” were playing – 'Blackie' O'Donnel, Carol Lynch and also a guitarist.
Although the music was excellent, because the bar is basically a hotel bar, it had no atmosphere and was nowhere near as enjoyable as McDermott's.