SUICRO is the snappy, quick, efficient way of saying Speleology Union of Ireland - (controversial hyphen) Irish Cave Rescue Organisation annual get together of cavers and underground explorers in Ireland.

This years its been held in Garrison in Fermanagh, near the border with the republic in case anyone wants a quick exit. This year also marks the 20th publication anniversary of Caves of Fermanagh and Cavan so its fitting to be having SUICRO in County Fermanagh..

Garrison is on the shore of Lough Melvin , it has 2 pubs, a general shop, cafes and the Lough Melvin Holiday centre which offers hostel dorms, self catering cottages and camping sites. Just across the road theres Lough Melvin itself with free pitches for camping. Theres b+bs nearby, and Kiltclougher is 5 miles away with more accomodation.

There will be entertainment, pre rigged caves,  talks, competitions, trad music, guest beers and gin, home cooking., a mine site tour, monster raffle, trade stand/shops, pub quiz.and T-shirt shop.

SUICRO is a free to attend event, with funds from the raffle going to ICRO. Tshirt sales help offset event costs.

So avail of out of season ferry tickets or fly into near Derry or Knock airports or blag a lift from Belfast or Dublin.

I've just been scoutting around Garrison , this years base for SUICRO. I started in the duck friendly park where i pitched tent and stirfryed some scran. Got given a can o beer from a dog walker and the dog got some bacon in return. Then after I had a traditional, post grease, Celtic, Irish, Magnum icecream from the village Spar shop and popped into the adjoining the Melvin Inn. Here yea can marvel at the many fishy stories from Michael Gilroy publician and avid fishing fan, and also be a sounding board for pre-EU border smugglers. This be were our Friday night (27th October) reunion trad music session will be taking place. We have many musos within our ranks and will be fortified on the night by local players and pub sandwiches.

Then as night proved darker and wetter, I visited the Riverside Inn the Saturday night home of our forthcoming DJ. This has a roomy back room fit for all of us with its own bar and all. Across the street is the Lough Melvin Centre. All these locales are but within a 100m radius, tis a compact wee village. The centre has sleeping for 45 ,and has multiple serviced campervan pitches. The other direction across the road is the public park with amenity block ,BBQ pit and err Bandstand. This park was planted with tree's many years ago, without the forethought of an SRT race. God bless those Victorians.

+1 for SUICRO, highly recommended, yiz should definitely come over for it!

Indeed plus one. SUICRO is not your big ungainly lecture fest. Tis very intimate and yeasll have every chance of blahhing to the presenters apres-ski,. Theres no spreadsheets nor Germanic/English time tabling.

Continuing my visit to Garrison. I awoke to the patter of rain on the tent and waves on the shore. This is a day for a hot breakfast, having the night before admired the many delictable white & black puddings, bacon, sausages, potatoe bread, soda farls, etc in the Spar shop.I decided this also to be a day for Joesy of Truely Scrumptious cafe to concoct such a combination of foodstuffs with lashings of coffee and lemon meringue pie. From here i drove deep into the surrounding forests, which contain the lesser visted caves of Formal and Mona.

I came across Kiltyclougher seen of many a student caving forum and rebuilt border crossings. Kilty is only 5mile from Garrison and may be an option if accomodation is lacking and in the opposite direction is the small town of Belleek. All these places straddle the border, and the area is duel currency, and a great place to discuss BREXIT strategies.

Planning to fly over to Belfast Friday 13th night and zoom across in the car, if anyone from UK is interested in sharing a lift?

stevemac said:

Planning to fly over to Belfast Friday 13th night and zoom across in the car, if anyone from UK is interested in sharing a lift?

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Thatz purty keen Steve. You sure about the 13th? SUICRO doesnt officially start til the friday night on the 27th, you wanna help prerigging caves?

Woops, meant Friday 27th October....

Any other suggestions on how to get to Garrison Sean for UK-based folk?

stevemac said:

Woops, meant Friday 27th October....

Any other suggestions on how to get to Garrison Sean for UK-based folk?

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I'm so glad you asked Stephen.

Currently there are some very good value ferry tickets for cars on all Irish sea routes, ?10 foot passenger tickets from liverpool ?79 oneway car and driver from Cairnryan to Belfast.

And of course easyjet, jet2, BMI and Flybe and all the rest have flights into the major cities surrounding Garrison, each with caving car hire shops right beside them.

Oh yes dont forget that irish airline run by gobshite Michael O'Leary. Not naming names or anything.

Accommodation. Yes whilst at SUICRO you may require somewhere to sleep. The main events are been staged at http://www.melvinholidaycentre.com which has shared dorms and campervan pitches left. Best advice is to phone(not email) Dawn on 00442868658142. Some quickwitted have secured most of the airbnbs in town, just check it again. For those that like their comforts there?s http://www.melvincountryhouse.com B&B and self catering choices with http://www.athomeinfermanagh.com . If you find all else booked and still want a hard roof over your heads theres http://www.kiltyclogherholidaycentre.ie 5 mile away and Belleek village 5mile the other way. Best thing to secure beds is by phoning these places.

oh, another jolly outing to Sligo, Fermanagh, Leitrim and Cavan. I've been pavefinding a way up to a mine site we'll be visiting over the SUICRO weekend, stories of Iraqi Super Gun parts, a pissed off Bull, and baby caver helicopter rescues abound.

I called into the Lough Melvin Holiday Centre, they still have B&B beds available.

We'll be looking help soon to pre-rig sites for SUICRO if you're interested give me a shout. I can provide the transport (right to within 100m of the Shannon pot) and t and noodles. 

by jhove. its been busy the last few days. Rounding up speakers, sampling crafty beers, tasting breakfast frys, sourcing PA systems, getting land access, rigging caves, expediating caver post, adding musicians to our music sesh on Friday, sheparding English cavers, and finding generous donors for ICROs Sunday night raffle. Tis actually building up to be a good aul event.

So far the brave, willing and able donors include:-

Inglesport of Ingleton
Starless River of no fixed abode
Kong Adventure of Kendal
Bernies Caving Shop (not Bernies Cafe)
Marble Arch Caves of Marble Arch Fermanagh
Descent magazine of A Wild Place
Kiltyclogher Hostel of Kiltyclougher (God i dunno if there is a U in that or not)
Riverside Inn beside the Garrison River
Linnet Inn AKA McKenzies Bar AKA Boho Pub

If anyones thinking of tent camping send me a private message. The Weather looks mild for camping.