J. C. Coleman
| J. C. Coleman | |
|---|---|
| Born | Cork, Ireland |
| Died | (aged 57) |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Occupation | Geographer, archaeologist, speleologist, mountaineer |
| Known for | Prolific speleologist |
| Children | 3 |
John (Jack) Cristopher Coleman (died 20 April 1971) was a respected Irish geographer, archaeologist, speleologist and mountaineer. He devoted much of his life to the study of the caves of Ireland, the product of which were his many contributions to scientific journals in Ireland and the United Kingdom, his founding of the Speleological Society of Ireland and the publishing of his book, The Caves of Ireland.
His dedication to the exploration of Irish caves and highly respected articles published both nationally and abroad were pivotal in boosting the study of speleology in Ireland during the mid to late 20th century, earning him the affectionate title of the "father of Irish caving".
Coleman was born in Cork, Ireland and worked for Bord Fáilte from 1945, having trained as a geographer in Cork University. He began caving in 1932, initially exploring caves within cycling distance of his home in Cork City such as Carrigtwohill Caves and Ovens Caves. In 1940 Coleman met Portlaoise textile chemist N. J. Dunnington, who joined him in explorations of caves in South Cork. In July 1941 the pair cycled heavily laden bicycles to County Clare to investigate Pollnagollum, and over the ensuing years undertook a systematic exploration of the cave system. In 1944 the Royal Irish Academy published an article on the cave system by Coleman and Dunnington, which received widespread praise from the scientific community and attracted a new wave of speleologists to the Burren.
Coleman was the first speleologist to identify scalloping as an indicator of the direction of water flow in a cave. His findings, made between 1946 and 1949, were published by the University of Bristol Spelæological Society (UBSS). Coleman would later cite the relationship that he built with the society over the following years to be a major stimulus in continuing his work on Irish caves, and ultimately in completing his book on the subject. By the 1960s he had been made Honorary Life Member of the UBSS.
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