Oweynagat Cave
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Creatures emerging from the ground to wreak havoc on the
surrounding lands
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A place where people live in fear, not knowing who the
next victim will be
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A difficult past with an uncertain future
No, we’re not talking again about cryptosporidiosis and the ‘boil
water’ notices but Oweynagat Cave in central Roscommon, which plays host to Ireland’s
‘Gate to Hell’. The cave is situated in Rathcroghan, not far from Tulsk (the town, not the incorrectly-spelt 12th album
from Fleetwood Mac). The idea of Roscommon being the mouth of Hell might
come as a bit of shock to some people (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the cast of Stargate
and Joe Public for a start), but it shouldn’t, given the number of megalithic tombs
dating back more than 5,000 years it contains and its history of rich Celtic myths
and legends.
In Celtic mythology, warrior queen Medb of Connacht was said
to have lived, ruled and watched over the area in which Oweynagat Cave sits. However,
she might have overlooked this one among the many in the area, as what self-respecting
warrior queen would allow a Hell Mouth open up in her backyard? While no-one
knows exactly how many monsters use Oweynagat Cave to commute in and out from the
underworld, one mythological being that definitely resides in it is the Morrígan,
a goddess of death often associated with crows, ravens, Roscommon underachieving
in the football and er ... death!
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