Kelly's Cave is a limestone solutional cave and National Monument in County Mayo, Ireland.
Kelly's Cave lies in woodland 500 m (1,600 ft) northeast of Cong.
English antiquarian Wilfrid James Hemp suggested the cave may have had prehistoric use, comparing it to ancient caves in Sardinia.[1]
It has been suggested that the cave may have been extended and modified in the middle ages for use as a hermitage related to Cong Abbey.[2]
This cave is supposed to have taken its name from a fugitive named Kelly who took refuge there following the 1798 Rebellion.[citation needed]
Another local tradition claims that Kelly was a man who, along with his family, was forced to live there during the Penal era (17th–18th century). Kelly became a highwayman to survive.[citation needed]
The cave is about 16 m (52 ft) long and consists of two rectangular chambers and a hole in the roof which acts as a skylight. Four steps lead down to an underground stream, and benches have been carved into the walls.[3][4]