Together, Sean Corrigan and Richard Watson have almost 50 years’ experience working in the Marble Arch Caves.

They have seen hundreds of thousands of tourists from all corners of the earth walk through the underground passages of this UNESCO site and seen the changes over the years to the centre and the fantastic services the site offers.

Richard began his journey in 1985, the year the caves officially opened and spent the next 33 years, until March 2018 in Marlbank.

Although the caves have changed little in that time, Richards says the development of the visitor centres and other sites around the Geopark has been phenomenal.

“The visitor centre was only very small when we first started,” explained Richard. “And we had only one tiny public room which is now the office so it was tiny you could get about 30 people in it and people had to wait outside for the tours.

“It now stands the test against many other facilities across Ireland with the visitor centre, the café the lecture theatre and the classroom for kids.

“The whole range of education services we do. When we first opened it was just really tours and we started to build in the education services pretty quick because there was a demand from the schools and its blossomed into quite a big service in its own right.”

Being there at the very start, Richard saw the electricians bring light to the caves for the first time.

“Things that stick out, when the works were being done most of the lighting was just cap lamps on their helmets and here and there some strings of bulbs just slung along the wall for rough lighting.

“The electrical works were really the last thing to be finished so I remember you’d be all standing in expectancy waiting for the electrician to turn on the switch to light the next section of the cave for the first time.

“To see it lit up like that, it was quite something I have to say.”

The electricians caused some havoc as well as Richard found out when a screwdriver in the back pocket of an electrician’s trousers sank a rubber boat used for transport and left them both in the water!

Sean began his journey in the Marble Arch Caves in 2004 as a tour guide and has gradually made his way up to the post of Operations Officer.

“People are really getting a personal experience of the caves. Our tours are no more than 20 people, so they are getting a unique experience.

“I can vouch for every one of them because I have trained them all our tour guides are so passionate about the caves and are able to tell the real story of the caves how the caves developed.”

The tour guides are one of the aspects of the Marble Arch Caves both Richard and Sean say are a massive part of the site and the success.

Mainly were students who came from the surrounding areas, Richard says they had a great “camaraderie”.

“They were brilliant, you had to keep an eye on them alright, but they were all very enthusiastic and they got on famously together.”

He recalls the times he told two of them to go down and wash the boats in the caves and they were unsure if they had to bring water down with them until he told them there was plenty of water for them down there.

Or how another pair were found arguing over what was a shovel and what was a spade.

“It sets you up well for life.”

For now, the caves remain closed to the public, but Sean is hoping the doors will open in the not too distant future.

“We are very eager to welcome all our visitors back once we get the go ahead and the doors open. We can promise all a unique experience and we are looking forward to seeing them,” Sean told this newspaper.