Lough Beagh

Lough Beagh Loch Ghleann Bheatha
Location in Ireland
Location	County Donegal
Coordinates	55°2′24″N 7°58′22″W / 55.04000°N 7.97278°WCoordinates: 55°2′24″N 7°58′22″W / 55.04000°N 7.97278°W
Lake type	Glacial lake
Primary inflows	Owenbeagh River
Primary outflows	Owencarrow River
Catchment area	36.88 km^2 (14.2 sq mi)
Basin countries	Ireland
Max. length	6.5 km (4 mi)
Max. width	0.8 km (0.5 mi)
Surface area	2.61 km^2 (1.01 sq mi)
Average depth	9.2 m (30 ft)
Max. depth	46.5 m (153 ft)
Surface elevation	45.3 m (149 ft)
References	[1][2][3]

Lough Beagh (Irish: Loch Ghleann Bheatha),^[4] also known as Lough Veagh, is a freshwater lake in the northwest of Ireland. It is located in north County Donegal and is part of Glenveagh National Park.

Geography

Lough Beagh is about 24 kilometres (15 mi) northwest of Letterkenny.^[3] It measures about 6 km (3.7 mi) long and 1 km (0.6 mi) wide and lies in the narrow Glenveagh valley surrounded by the Derryveagh and Glendowan Mountains.^[3] Steep granite cliffs rise on both sides of the lake to heights of about 300 m (1,000 ft).^[2] The lake has numerous small islands at its northern end.^[5]

Hydrology

Lough Beagh is fed mainly by the Owenbeagh River entering at its southern end. The lake drains northwards into the Owencarrow River. The Owencarrow connects the lake with its similar northern neighbour, Glen Lough.^[2]

Natural history

Fish species in Lough Beagh include brown trout (including sea trout), Arctic char, salmon, minnow and the critically endangered European eel.^[3] Bird life includes the migrating red-throated diver and the reintroduced golden eagle.^[6]

History

The lake is mentioned in the Annals of the Four Masters, where in about 1540 sons of Ó Domnaill "held the crannog of Loch Veagh and from it were greatly troubling the country".^[7]

See also

• List of loughs in Ireland

References

1. "A Reference Based Typology and Ecological Assessment System for Irish Lakes" (PDF). Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland). 2006. p. 13. Retrieved 13 Aug 2015.
2. "Explanatory Memoir" (PDF). Irish historical geological maps. Geological Survey of Ireland. 1891. p. 12. Retrieved 13 Aug 2015.
3. "Water Framework Directive Fish Stock Survey of Lough Beagh" (PDF). Inland Fisheries Ireland. August 2011. Retrieved 13 Aug 2015.
4. "Loch Ghleann Bheatha/Lough Beagh". Placenames Database of Ireland. Government of Ireland - Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and Dublin City University. Retrieved 13 Aug 2015.
5. Google (13 Aug 2015). "Lough Beagh" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 13 Aug 2015.
6. "Glenveagh National Park - Wildlife". National Parks and Wildlife Service (Ireland). Retrieved 13 Aug 2015.
7. Annals of the Four Masters, ed. & tr. John O'Donovan (1856). Annála Rioghachta Éireann. Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland by the Four Masters... with a Translation and Copious Notes. 7 vols (2nd ed.). Dublin: Royal Irish Academy. 1540.11 CELT editions. Full scans at Internet Archive: Vol. 1; Vol. 2; Vol. 3; Vol. 4; Vol. 5; Vol. 6; Indices.