ESCR - Prod's Pot - Cascades; Prod's Pot

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Prod's Pot - Cascades; Prod's Pot	Fermanagh

Site number:	339	File Number:	H13
ESCC:	IC
Locality Type:	Pothole	Status:	ASSI
Grid Reference:	H13643371
Google maps:	54.25246,-7.79133
County:	Fermanagh	Council area:	Fermanagh & Omagh District Council
Period:	Quaternary, Carboniferous
Stages:	Asbian, Holocene, Visean
Lithostrat:	Knockmore Limestone Member

Site Description
Surface karst: Prod's Pot and Dooneen Rattling Hole depression.
Description:
The Prod's Pot-Cascades Rising Karst area lies between the Tullyhona and Marble Arch areas. The area contains one major cave system, the Prod's Pot-Cascades Rising Cave System and a large number of minor sites associated with this. The cave system is developed within limestones of the Knockmore Limestone Member, with the exception of the entrance series of Cascades Rising Cave which is developed in the Glencar Limestone Formation. The system can be accessed via two entrances; Prod's Pot gives access to the passages upstream of the Main Stream sumps and Cascades Rising Cave gives access to the passages between Main Stream Sump 6 and the resurgence. Prod's Pot is entered via a small doline adjacent to Dooneen Rattling Hole. A series of five generally tight pitches, totalling 54 metres, gives access to the Main Stream Passage. Prod's Pot: Main Stream Passage, downstream of entrance pitch. Upstream, from the point where the main stream is entered from Prod's Pot, a short low section leads to a larger passage where a 10m long inlet enters from an aven. The main passage alternates between short low bedding controlled sections of passage and chambers where diffuse input enters via a large number of avens. A major tributary enters from Formation Passage to the south. Formation Passage extends for ~200m to a junction with a stream entering from a sump to the west. A well decorated passage continues at the junction to a boulder choke. Prod's Pot: Boulder Hall Prod's Pot: east passage wall in Boulder Hall. Beyond the sump approximately 300m of well decorated passages have been explored, ending in a choke and a tight, partially gravel choked sump. Upstream from the Formation Passage junction, the Main Stream Passage consists of 45m of low wet passage to the Minaret, a large calcite column. Prod's Pot: The Minaret. The crawls continue to a large rift passage and the Black Hole, where the passage sumps. Immediately before the Black Hole is reached, a large stream enters from Cascades Inlet Passage, a well developed active canyon passage ending in a sump. Prod's Pot: Cascade Inlet Passage. Beyond this sump are approximately 500m of tight rift passage with many sharp projections on the wall. Downstream the main stream follows a large meandering passage. After 80m a major tributary, Papist Passage, enters from the south. Prod's Pot: Main Stream Passage, downstream of Papist Passage. This trends towards Pollasumera for 200m and ends in a sump. 50m into Papist, a small tributary enters from the east. This can be followed for 50m to a junction, both passages leading from this becoming constricted and impassable. A further 80m downstream from the entrance to Papist Passage, Bleeding Heart Passage enters from the northeast. This is 40m long and contains large amounts of fine, pale grey mud and a distinctive red formation. The Main Stream Passage continues for approximately 450m, mostly as large fracture controlled meandering passage, with a short canal section and a large chamber with an impressive stalagmite column, the James Connolly Memorial Column. Prod's Pot: flow stone on west wall of Main Stream Passage at James Connolly Memorial Column. Prod's Pot: James Connolly Memorial Column. Prod's Pot: speleothems below James Connolly Memorial Column. About 550m from the entrance the roof drops to a duck, followed by a chamber and Sump 1. This passage contains well preserved mud and calcite ledges, some 4m above the current stream level.
Notes:
Prod's Pot is a feature of the Prod's Pot - Cascades Rising Cave System in the Marlbank-Cuilcagh Mountain Region. For general information on this system and the features associated with it, including this one, and a reference list, see site description 'Marlbank-Cuilcagh Mountain Region; Prod's Pot - Cascades Rising Area'.

Keywords
Rocks:	Limestone, Shale
Structures:	bedding
Geomorph:	cave, doline, pothole, sinkhole


Record type:	ESCR report
Entered by:	Doughty, P.J.
Last updated:	24 Dec 2003

Enlander, I., Dempster, M. & Doughty, P., 2026. Prod's Pot - Cascades; Prod's Pot, County Fermanagh, site details. [In] Earth Science Conservation Review.
https://www.habitas.org.uk/escr/site.php?item=339. Accessed on 2026-11-08.

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