Lough Derg (Shannon)

For the lake in County Donegal, see Lough Derg (Ulster).
Lough Derg
Loch Deirgeirt
Coordinates 52°59′N 8°19′W / 52.983°N 8.317°W / 52.983; -8.317Coordinates: 52°59′N 8°19′W / 52.983°N 8.317°W / 52.983; -8.317
Primary inflows River Shannon
Primary outflows River Shannon
Basin countries Ireland
Max. length 38.6 km (24.0 mi)
Max. width 12.9 km (8.0 mi)
Surface area 130 km2 (50 sq mi)
Average depth 7.6 m (25 ft)
Max. depth 36 m (118 ft)
Water volume 0.887 km3 (0.213 cu mi)
Residence time 0.15 years
Shore length1 179,000 m (587,000 ft)
Surface elevation 33.5 m (110 ft)
Settlements Garrykennedy, Portumna, Killaloe & Ballina, Dromineer, Terryglass
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.
The location of Lough Derg in Ireland

Lough Derg, historically Lough Dergart (Irish: Loch Deirgeirt),[1] is a freshwater lake in the Shannon River Basin, Ireland. It is the second-biggest lake in the Republic of Ireland and the third-biggest on the island of Ireland (after Lough Neagh and Lough Corrib).

It is a long, narrow lake, with shores in counties Clare (south-west), Galway (north-west), and Tipperary (to the east). It is the southernmost of three large lakes on the River Shannon; the others being Lough Ree and Lough Allen. Towns and villages on Lough Derg include Portumna, Killaloe & Ballina, Dromineer, Terryglass, Mountshannon and Garrykennedy.

The lake's name evolved from the Irish Loch Deirgdheirc.[1] This was one of the names of The Dagda, an Irish god, and literally means "red eye".[2]

Geography

At its deepest, the lake is 36 metres[3] deep and covers an area of 130 km² (50.2 sq miles). Close downstream from where Lough Derg empties into the Shannon are the falls of Doonass, the largest fall on the otherwise gently sloping river. Nearby is the location of the hydroelectric power plant at Ardnacrusha, which, when built in 1927 was the world's largest.

Usage

In the nineteenth century, Lough Derg was an important artery from the port at Limerick to Dublin through the canals in the midlands of Ireland. Navigable over its full 40 km length, Lough Derg is today popular with cruisers and other pleasure craft, as well as sailing and fishing. The University of Limerick have an activity centre by the lake, just north of Killaloe, where there are canoes, kayaks, windsurfing, sailing dingies, and other recreations.

Lough Derg is home to an RNLI Lifeboat which is based at Dromineer, the first inland station in Ireland.[4]In June 2013, 35 people were brought to safety when a major rescue effort was undertaken after an international rowing event was hit by severe weather.[5]

Ecology

A breeding pair of white-tailed eagles first nested on an island in Lough Derg in 2012. This marked a great success for the Irish reintroduction programme started in the summer of 2007.[6][7][8]

The North-East Shore is listed as a Special Area of Conservation.[9]

Towns/villages

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Placenames Database of Ireland
  2. ↑ MacKillop, James. Myths and Legends of the Celts. Penguin, 2006. p.137
  3. ↑ International Lake Environment Committee Foundation
  4. ↑ loughderglifeboat.com
  5. ↑ Hilliard, Mark. "Lough Derg rescue operation brings 35 ashore after rowing event". www.irishtimes.com. THE IRISH TIMES. Retrieved 22 June 2013.
  6. ↑ "Sea eagles return to Irish nest". The Irish Times. 2012-04-30. Retrieved 2012-04-30.
  7. ↑ RTÉ: Rare eagle reintroduced to Ireland
  8. ↑ White-tailed Eagle
  9. ↑ http://www.npws.ie/sites/default/files/protected-sites/conservation_objectives/CO004058.pdf
  10. ↑ Waterways Ireland ePortal

External links

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