Aillwee Cave Homemade Fudge and Farmhouse Cheesemakers

Situated in the heart of the Burren in County Clare lies one of the oldest caves in Ireland.

The Aillwee Cave is one of the oldest caves in Ireland.  Its geographical history dates back millions of years, when streams from a nearby mountain now known as Aillwee Mountain, dissolved channels underground through the Burren’s heavy limestone landscape.  Over years, with the coming of the ice age and the big thaw afterwards, torrents of water crashed through the original holes of the cave, enlarging the cavity.  Over time, various cavities within the cave were formed, and the result is a breathtaking natural wonder which really makes you think about how our world was formed.  Sand and silt from ice thaw waters are still present in the Aillwee cave today, along with granite boulders from Connemara which were transported naturally by the solid ice from Galway Bay. A tour of the cave takes about half an hour, meandering through the various chambers and their stalactite and stalagmite formations. See the Praying Hands, the Wasp’s Nest, and The Carrots formations – these developed over millions of years, from billions of droplets of water containing calcite which lodged and hardened. Thanks to herdsman Jacko McGann who discovered the cave by crawling through it by candlelight in 1940. From there, various caving experts joined forces to explore and create this unique site. You can learn all about the history of the cave when you are there – and afterwards there are lots to delight in the food department too.

As you approach the drive up to the cave, you’ll find the Aillwee Cave Farm shop and production site for Burren Gold cheese.  Inside the shop, the cheese production area is open to viewing through glass panels, so you may find the cheese maker there making cheese while you are shopping.  Milk comes from the Friesian dairy herd of a very local farm – so this cheese has its unique taste from the grazing of rich grasses and herbs.  Of course you’ll get a taste too – there’s always some slivers of the various flavours on the counter to try before you buy.  The cheese is a firm textured Gouda style with creamy taste.  The original carries all the natural flavour of the milk.  Oak smoked is delicately smoked over oak chips.  There is garlic and nettle for something a bit different, then three spicy cheeses flavoured with Fenugreek, Black Pepper or Cumin seeds.  We think that’s a great selection and we tried them all! 

The shop also makes its own fudges in as many as twenty different flavours.  Those big solid blocks of sweetie heaven sure look very tempting behind the counter.  You can choose a bit of what you fancy and mix them in a box, or pick out a single flavour you know you love.  It won’t be easy though.  Try the Fruit Cake Fudge, Caramel and Hazelnut, Chocolate and Marshmallow and all the others too – we can bet you’ll have difficulty picking just one to take home!  Aside from the cheese and fudge, the shop here also offers a range of other Irish artisan specialities and some local craft items too.  We decided we’d call it Aladdin’s Cave instead of Aillwee Cave – the treasures here are just as wondrous as the natural ones you’ll see!  You can grab a takeaway tea or coffee also, and a cheese tasting plate with crackers, to enjoy at one of the garden seats outside.  Just across the way is the Bird of Prey Centre, with great specimens of our flying friends – you might even see one or two of them sitting on the roof if they are being flown when you visit.  Flying demos happen through the day.  Also try the daily Hawk Walk – where you can go through the sustainable woodland here with the hawk expert, who will have a bird flying freely through the trees with him – it’s quite magnificent to see these birds flying in their natural environment.

At the cave, you’ll find the Aillwee Tea rooms.  You might fancy a spot of refreshment before you do the cave tour – and most certainly afterwards.  Mary Murray is the Head Chef here – a self taught cook who makes all her own cakes and pastries, breads and her speciality Guinness Fruit Cake.  It’s gorgeous!  You can enjoy a generously filled sandwich with Burren Gold cheese and salad or some home roast ham - on homemade bread to boot!  Soup of the day is a seasonal vegetable based soup served with Mary’s Irish soda bread.  Tables are to be found at the entrance and also upstairs, where a small outdoor terrace enjoys grand views of the Burren beyond.

Aillwee Cave makes a great day out – so much to see and do and all the staff are so passionate about their work, you could spend a good while just chatting to them.  We did – and we learned all about the cave history, the sustainable woodlands and forestry practices, and the great work of the Bird of Prey Centre in supporting wild bird projects like the Kerry Release programme of the White tailed Sea Eagles, the Golden Eagle in Donegal and the Red Kite Project in Wicklow. Sika the Sea Eagle is resident here – she’s six years old and very beautiful with her white tail feathers and gleaming golden beak.  And of course after meeting her and all her other feathered friends you can enjoy some great food and a bit of retail culinary therapy before you go home.  Aillwee Cave is a natural treasure with the benefit of its other numerous facilities – plus the benefit of enjoying the kind of local and homemade foods we here at Good Food Ireland get all passionate about!

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Contact Details

To Contact a Member Directly, please click on the email or website below

Ballyvaughan
Co Clare
+353 (0) 65 7077036
Email: info@aillweecave.ie
Web: www.aillweecave.ie

 

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