The Wonders of Irish Lakes for families by John Dunne
Over the years lakes have made a vital contribution to the human experience in Ireland but it is in their availability as a leisure amenity for families that they have yet to be fully exploited. Ireland has great variety in its lakes from mountain bound corries to seasonal turloughs, or blind loughs as they are known in Munster, or the wider stretches of lakes in plains like Lough Ree on the River Shannon. There are even disappearing lakes like Lough na Súil in County Sligo which has made a habit of disappearing into the ground over the years only to fill once again. There are in fact over 6,000 natural lakes on the island of Ireland and their dramatic settings and irregularity of their shorelines present a multiplicity of experiences to be enjoyed there.
Boating is one of the most popular activities on our lakes but compared to other western European countries Ireland’s lakes have very little traffic. Your family does not have to own or rent a cruiser to enjoy the water based pleasures of our lakes although this is a fantastic way to see many of Ireland’s unheralded sights. The kids will love being Captain for a day in a smaller boats that can be hired at lakes such as Lough Sheelin in County Cavan, and some of the most interesting encounters with flora and fauna can be experienced while pottering about in an oar propelled conveyance. If you would like others to take the helm why not hitch a ride on the Rose of Innisfree which is moored adjacent to Parkes Castle on Lough Gill and during the summer months offers daily trips around the lake passing by the celebrated Isle of Innisfree. A similar journey can be undertaken on the Lakes of Killarney where a tour boat can take you from Ross Castle on Lough Leane through the three lakes as far as Lord Brandon’s Cottage on the shores of the Upper Lake.
Without doubt angling is highly popular on our lakes and many overseas anglers pay frequent visits to some of our most renowned fisheries. Why not try to hook either the gillaroo with its vivid red spots or the black finned sonaghan in Lough Melvin. These are truly unique species of trout that are not to be found anywhere else in the world.
Cycling is not an activity that immediately springs to mind when a waterway or lake is mentioned. However, it is an ideal way for families to explore the lakeshore. Well trodden angler’s paths, farmer’s trails, forest tracks and tertiary roads combine to provide a network of access to the lakeshore. A new family cycling trail has recently been installed by Coillte in Portumna Forest Park on the northern shore of Lough Derg and the woods and forests around Lough Mask such as Ballykine Wood, Pigeon Hole Wood and Moore Hall Wood, as well as Cong Wood on the shores of Lough Corrib, are all open to cyclists. While passing through Pigeon Hole Wood you might take the opportunity to inspect the dark cylinder shaped crevasse cut deep into limestone rock that gives the wood its name. For all your gallant little adventurers, a series of sixty-one steps leads down into the bowels of a damp cavern.
For families interested in hiking lakeshores have a magnetic attraction. Indeed it could be said that hikers who venture up to higher ground near the shores of our lakes see them at their very best. Follow ‘The Miner’s Way’ from Drumshanbo in County Leitrim into the Arigna Mountains for some of the best views of Lough Allen. Alternatively, hike through Slish Wood on the shore of Lough Gill to view the aforementioned Isle of Innisfree.
The Legends of Irish Lakes
Lakes are not only physical phenomena, they are also renowned as places of natural magic. In the light of the recent success of J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and Philip Pulman’s fantasy novels the many legendary tales associated with Ireland’s lakes should appeal to the younger members of families. Our ancestors had an enduring belief in the power of spirits and lakes were believed to be the portals through which access could be gained to other realms such as the land of the fairies or the land of the dead. Collectively these are known as the ‘otherworld’. This world has been described as ranging from a land of inexhaustible food and eternal youth to ‘a joyous place of sensuous pleasure. Lakes provided a medium of passage for creatures or people from the ‘otherworld’ to this world and vice versa.
The variety of legends relating to our lakes is extensive and will entertain younger family members for many hours. Some are concerned with the origins of the lakes while others deal with fearsome creatures that inhabit the lakes or their shores. The tales regarding their origins suggest that lakes were perhaps formed as the vengeful outcome of a god who was wronged and out of spite flooded the land or perhaps the result of a curse brought down on the head of a person or group of people who had portrayed a lack of charity or hospitality towards a stranger as happened in the case of Lough Gara.
Lough Gill, for example, is said to have been formed from the sorrowful tears of the daughter of a warrior while she was grieving for her father and lover who both died after a fight between them. Lough Neagh was either formed from the urine of a magical horse or the excavations of Fionn Mac Cumhaill when he scooped up a handful of earth to throw at a Scottish giant who was escaping his clutches.
By far the most common legend is that lakes emerged from outbursts of magic wells whose covers were not replaced by absent minded lovers (Lough Erne), an old woman (Lough Melvin) or an unmarried woman (Lough Allen). The one that appeals to me most involves no curses or punishments. Indeed its origins might be said to be purely functional. The formation of Lough Carra in County Mayo is attributed to a fastidious local giant who could not satisfy the water requirements for his daily ablutions from the existing sources nearby. Accordingly, he scooped out enough earth to form a decent sized bath for himself and from that day on he was able to bathe himself in comfort in the pure clear waters of his own personal bath.
Wherever there is a lake there is usually a monster story attached to it and what child would not be fascinated by the prospect of seeing their very own monster. With so many lakes Ireland has many monster legends. These creatures are often depicted as serpentine and elusive, mysteriously claiming victims, particularly children, who venture close to their watery lairs.
Ireland’s saints are supposedly to blame for the presence of several of our lake monsters. In far off days it was one of the most important duties of a saint, and indeed a sign of his holy powers, to dispatch a fearsome creature that was causing terror to a local community to the depths of a lake and to hold it there through the power of prayer.
St. Patrick was regularly called upon to fulfil this duty. On his travels through Donegal he once encountered a snake which he banished to a small lake called Loch na Peche but the serpent emptied this lake of all its water by lashing its tail about. The saint then drove it to another larger lake which was originally called Lough na Corragh where the snake’s blood turned the waters red and the lake’s name was then changed to Lough Derg a place now more famous for its pilgrimages.
At the other end of the country St. Patrick is also said to have confined another serpent in the depths of Coosaun Lake in the Gap of Dunloe in County Kerry which is better known to locals as ‘The Serpent Lake’. There the saint is said to have cast into the lake an iron chest containing Ireland’s last snake. St. Patrick had to trick the snake to get into the chest and locals will tell you that the forlorn cries of the captive serpent can be heard coming from the depths. They also say that the wind never disturbs the surface of this lake and that the ripples you see on the surface are caused by the serpent’s struggles to get free.
Other monsters worth a family hunt include: ‘Muckie’ the monster of Muckross Lake in County Kerry a black creature that inhabits the murky depths of Ireland’s deepest lake; The Dobharchú of Lough Glenade in County Leitrim, a legendary otter like creature responsible for the death of a local lady called Grace Connolly; the Beast of Lettir Dallan, a horse type creature that resides in Glencar Lough in County Sligo; and finally, the best documented of them all, the Lough Ree monster, a creature extending to over six metres with a serpent like head that was last seen by three clerics while fishing in May, 1960. Good hunting!
John Dunne is an avid off-road explorer, who has done extensive research on Ireland's lakes, recognizing their huge natural beauty, indigenous wildlife and the numerous places of interest that neighbour or overlook them. His new book, Lakeshore Loops is a culmination of all this research, and is the first guide to Ireland's beautiful lakes, including maps trails and tons of local legends and lore. John's easy-to-read narrative educates and informs users about the lakes of Ireland, and promotes a healthy and fun approach to holidaying at home and can be purchased from Liberties Press here.
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