▁fine ▁can y on ▁passage . ▁... ▁[ It ] ▁is ▁perhaps ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁grand est ▁sections ▁of ▁can y on ▁passage ▁in ▁Ireland ▁but ▁on ▁a ▁striking ▁scale . ▁The ▁passage ▁is ▁about ▁ 1 – 2 ▁metres ▁wide ▁and ▁ranges ▁from ▁ 8 ▁to ▁ 1 4 ▁metres ▁in ▁height . ▁There ▁is ▁also ▁evidence ▁of ▁old ▁high - level ▁passage ▁with ▁a ▁few ▁r ift / high ▁level ▁passage ▁leads ." ▁▁ 2 0 0 9 : ▁E aster ▁Ext ension ▁ ▁Method ical ▁expl oration ▁of ▁high - level ▁leads ▁in ▁St . ▁Patrick ' s ▁Ext ension ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁discovery ▁of ▁a ▁tight ▁cross - rift ▁intercept ing ▁a ▁section ▁of ▁" P addy ' s ▁Par ade " ▁at ▁right - angles . ▁The ▁dry , ▁tight ly ▁me and ering ▁r ift , ▁the ▁" S nake ▁Es cape ", ▁was ▁followed ▁for ▁ ▁to ▁a ▁ ▁up ward ▁pitch , ▁from ▁the ▁top ▁of ▁which ▁led ▁ ▁of ▁craw ling ▁passage ▁to ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁deep ▁pitch ▁heads . ▁The ▁last ▁of ▁these ▁pitch es ▁was ▁found ▁to ▁take ▁a ▁small ▁stream , ▁which ▁was ▁followed ▁at ▁the ▁base ▁of ▁the ▁pitch ▁to ▁a ▁sum p . ▁Although ▁it ▁has ▁not ▁been ▁trac ed , ▁it ▁is ▁likely ▁that ▁this ▁stream ▁joins ▁the ▁main ▁Sh annon ▁C ave ▁water course ▁further ▁down stream ▁of ▁the ▁S nake ▁Es cape . ▁▁ ▁Up stream , ▁beyond ▁the ▁pitch