Mitchelstown Cave, Limestone show cave near Burncourt, Ireland

Mitchelstown Cave is a limestone cave system near Burncourt featuring three large chambers filled with stalactites, stalagmites, and crystalline deposits extending for over one kilometer underground. The cave is now developed as a tourist attraction with lit pathways and guided access through its main chambers.

Mitchelstown Cave was found on 3 May 1833 by Micheal Condon while he was quarrying limestone. It was mapped in 1834 by James Apjohn of Trinity College Dublin, and later surveyed by Édouard-Alfred Martel and H. Lyster Jameson in 1895 and by C. A. Hill and A. Rule in 1908. Guided tours by candlelight began in 1833; electric lighting and footpaths were installed in 1972, making it Ireland's first cave developed for the public.

The cave's name comes from the Kingston estate at Mitchelstown Castle, whose owner Lord Kingsborough held the land; the cave itself lies in County Tipperary. The largest chamber, Tír na Nóg, has been used for concerts and events, including a performance by the Celtic Tenors.

Visitors must book guided tours in advance by phone, and these tours last about one hour following the lit pathways through the main chambers. It is wise to reserve ahead to avoid waiting and to secure a spot on a tour at your preferred time.

The cave's name comes from the Kingston estate: Lord Kingsborough, whose seat was Mitchelstown Castle in County Cork, owned the land, so the cave 12 km away in County Tipperary carries the Mitchelstown name. Locals also call it the "New Cave", although a nearby cave was known since at least 1777.