Lough Ree
 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification.(March 2020) |
| Lough Ree | |
|---|---|
| Loch Rí(Irish) | |
 | |
  Lough Ree Location of Lough Ree in Ireland | |
| Location | Ireland |
| Coordinates | 53°30′N7°58′W/ 53.500°N 7.967°W |
| Primary inflows | River Shannon,River Inny |
| Primary outflows | River Shannon |
| Basincountries | Ireland |
| Surface area | 105 km2(41 sq mi) |
| Surface elevation | 38 m (125 ft) |
| Islands | Inchcleraun,Inchbofin,Inchmore, Inchturk, Rinanny Island, Clawinch, Inchenagh |
| Settlements | Athlone,Roscommon,Ballyleague,Lanesborough,Newtowncashel, Ballykeeran,Glasson,Tang,Keenagh,Ballymahon |
Lough Ree(Irish:Loch Rí),[1]translated to English asKing's LakeorKing Lake,[citation needed]is alakein the midlands ofIreland,the second of the three major lakes on theRiver Shannon.Lough Ree is the second largest lake on the Shannon afterLough Derg.The other two major lakes areLough Allento the north, and Lough Derg to the south. There are also several minor lakes along the length of the river. The lake serves as a border between the counties ofLongfordandWestmeath(both in the province ofLeinster) on the eastern side andCounty Roscommonin the province ofConnachton the western side. The lake is popular for fishing and boating. The lake supports a small commercial eel fishery and is locally famous for itseels on wheelstruck. The town ofAthloneis situated at the southern end of the lake, and has a harbour for boats going out on the lake. The small town ofLanesborois at the northern end of the lake.
The island ofInchcleraun(Inis Cloithreann) in the northern part of the lake is the site of a monastery founded in the early Christian era and contains the remains of several ancient churches. In Irish legends, it was on this island thatQueen Maevewas killed. The VikingTurgesiuscontrolled aringforton the shores until his death by drowning inLough Owel.
Families lived on some of the islands in Lough Ree including Inchcleraun (Walsh & Farrell), The Black Islands (Hanly & O'Hara),Inchmore(Tiernan, Quigley, Nolan & Keefe), Hare Island (Duffy), Inchbofin (Connell), Inch Turk (Ganly, Slevin & Walsh) and Inchenagh (Shea, Killian & Connaughton) until the 1950s, when they were rehoused ashore. Like several other Irish loughs, Lough Ree has been the scene of claimed sightings of alake monsterover the years.[2]
Thegeographical centre of Irelandwas previously calculated to be in the townland of Carnagh East, County Roscommon on the western shore of Lough Ree, opposite the Cribby Islands[3]Also Hodson pillar which is located on an island on the lake is said to be the most central point in Ireland. However, in 2022 Ordnance Survey Ireland did a new calculation which put the centre nearCastletown Geogheganin County Westmeath.[4]
Ecology
[edit]Lough Ree has been designated aSpecial Area of Conservation.The main habitat, by area, is the lake itself, but there are other habitats including bog.[5]
Lough Ree site has been designated aSpecial Protection Areaon the basis of its migratory waterfowl, with nationally important numbers ofTachybaptus ruficollis. It is also anImportant Bird Area.[6]
In 2021, invasivequagga musselswere discovered in the lake and inLough Dergby a research team fromUCD.[7]
Events
[edit]Jim O'Connor was the first person to solo swim the length of Lough Ree in 2012. The 33.91 km (21.07 mi) swim lasted 13 hours and 34 minutes, a mean speed of 2.5 kilometres per hour (1.6 mph; 0.69 m/s).[8]O'Connor completed this swim to raise funds for South Westmeath Hospice.[8]
Human history
[edit]9th centuryVikingattacks climaxed in 845 in Ireland and they built a fortified base on Lough Ree.[9]
Annalistic references
[edit]From theAnnals of Inisfallen:
- AI907.1 Kl. The plundering of Lough Rí by the men of Mumu as far as Mairg Laigen and Mag Léna, as a result of which Mael Craíbe son of Cathalán, king of Cenél Fiachrach, and many others were slain.
- AI922.2 Tomrair son of Elgi, a Jarl of the foreigners, onLuimnech(the Lower Shannon), and he proceeded and plunderedInis Celtraand Muicinis, and burnedCluain Moccu Nóis;and he went on Loch Rí and plundered all its islands, and he ravagedMide.
From theAnnals of the Four Masters:
- M934.6.Amhlaibh Ceannchairech, with the foreigners, came from Loch Eirne across Breifne to Loch Ribh. On the night of Great Christmas they reached the Sinainn, and they remained seven months there; and Magh-Aei was spoiled and plundered by them.
From theAnnals of Inisfallen
- AI988.2 A fleet, viz. 300 boats, [was put] on Loch Rí byBrian,and they harriedMideand went toUisnech.And twenty five boats of these went intoConnachta,and a great slaughter of their crews was inflicted there, including Dúnlang, king of Raithlenn, Niall Ua hEirc, Dúngalach Ua Loingsig, and many others. And by them was slain Muirgius son ofConchobar,royal heir ofConnachta.
- AI993.2 A naval raid by Brian, and he reachedBreifnefrom Loch Rí by way ofÁth Liacnorthwards.
- AI1016.3 A great hosting by Brian's son to Loch Rí, and he plundered Inis Clothrann (Inchcleraun) and Inis Bó Finne (Inchbofin), brought away the boats of Mael Sechnaill and Leth Cuinn, and took the hostages of Mumu from Cnámhchaill westwards.
In popular culture
[edit]The lake is the subject of the 1973 song "Where The 3 Counties Meet"byBrendan Shine.[10][11]
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^"Loch Rí/Lough Ree".Placenames Database of Ireland (logainm.ie).Department of Culture, Heritage and the GaeltachtandDublin City University.Archivedfrom the original on 17 July 2019.Retrieved14 March2020.
- ^Irish Lake MonstersArchived2011-08-26 at theWayback Machine
- ^"Ordnance Survey Ireland: FAQs".Archived fromthe originalon 28 February 2012.Retrieved7 February2016.
- ^Kenny, Pat (25 February 2022)."Where is the centre of Ireland?".Ordnance Survey Ireland.Retrieved27 September2022.
- ^"Nine of 53 protected bogs 'being cut illegally'".Irish Examiner.2012.Archivedfrom the original on 17 June 2015.Retrieved16 June2015.
- ^"Important Bird Areas factsheet: Lough Ree".Birdlife International.Archivedfrom the original on 4 March 2016.Retrieved16 June2015.
- ^Mainnín, Tomás O. (26 July 2021)."Invasive species fle xing its 'mussels' on the Shannon".RTÉ.Archivedfrom the original on 26 July 2021.Retrieved26 July2021.
- ^ab"Westmeath Independent - Athlone swimmer conquers Lough Ree".Westmeath Independent.Archivedfrom the original on 12 November 2018.Retrieved16 November2016.
- ^Roesdahl, Else (2016).The Vikings(Third ed.). Penguin Books. p. 234.ISBN978-0-141-98476-6.
- ^"Farming for meat where the three counties meet".Tuam Herald.11 May 2022.
- ^"Old-word gem where three counties meet".independent.ie.30 May 2012.
