This is an alphabetical list of loughs (lakes) on the island of Ireland. It also shows a table of the largest loughs. The word lough is pronounced like loch (/lɒk, lɒx/) and comes from the Irish loch, meaning lake.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, there are an estimated 12,000 lakes in the Republic of Ireland, covering an area of more than 1,200 square kilometres.[1] The largest lough, by area, in Ireland is Lough Neagh. Lough Corrib is the second largest, and is the largest in the Republic. The largest lough, by water volume, is Lough Neagh, with Lough Mask being the largest in the Republic.

The list below contains only those loughs that are of geographic, geological, or historical importance and almost all of them are over a square kilometre in area. It includes loughs that are in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Those partly or wholly within Northern Ireland are marked with an asterisk (*).

Largest Irish lakes

The largest freshwater loughs in Ireland are:[2][3][4]

Rank (by area)LakeArea (km²)Mean Depth (m)Max Depth (m)Volume x 106m3Shoreline (km)[5]County/Counties
1Lough Neagh*3969.0253,528186Antrim, Down, Armagh, Tyrone, County Londonderry
2Lough Corrib[6]1766.550.91,158392Galway and Mayo
3Lough Derg (Shannon)[7]1307.636988229Tipperary, Clare and Galway
4Lower Lough Erne*[8]10911.9691,300270Fermanagh
5Lough Ree[9]1056.235651192Roscommon, Longford and Westmeath
6Lough Mask[10]8315.0581,300[11]192Mayo and Galway
7Lough Conn[12]507.034350108Mayo
8Lough Allen[13]3510.942.739153Leitrim and Roscommon
9Upper Lough Erne*[14]342.32779255Fermanagh
10Lough Melvin*[15]237.84417554Fermanagh and Leitrim
11Lough Leane[16]2013.46026951Kerry
12Poulaphouca Reservoir[17]206.813564Wicklow
13Lough Sheelin[18]194.41583.636Westmeath, Cavan, Meath
14Lough Carra161.81828.875County Mayo

Muckross Lake (the middle lake of the Killarney lakes) is the deepest Irish lake, with a maximum depth of 75 metres.[19]

(Volume = Area * Mean Depth)

Freshwater lakes

Lough Bunny in The Burren
Fishing boats on Inchiquin, Lough Corrib.
Lough Cullin, County Mayo under Nephin
Lough Dan
Donegal's Lough Derg and Station Island
Lough Derravaragh and Knockeyon
Derryclare Lough
Mayo's Doo Lough and Delphi Pass
Glanmore Lake
Glenbeg Lough
Glencar Lough and Benbulbin
Lough Gur
Lough Inagh and the Twelve Bens
Lough Key and Castle Island
Kylemore Lough and Diamond Hill
Lough Lene and Turgesius Island
Lower Lough MacNean and Inishee Island
Maumeen Lough and the Twelve Bens
Lough Tay and the Wicklow Mountains
Lough Veagh in the Glenveagh Valley
Lough Oughter at Killykeen

Lakes with the county/counties where they are situated and their area in square kilometres. Most of the Republic of Ireland lake areas are taken from the Environmental Protection Agency's A Reference based Typology and Ecological Assessment System for Irish Lakes (pp. 10–13)[20]

LakeCountyArea (km²)
Lough AcooseCounty Kerry0.66
Lough Aleck MoreCounty Donegal0.61
Lough AlewnaghtaCounty Clare and County Galway0.55
Lough AllenCounty Leitrim33.6
Lough AlluaCounty Cork1.36
Lough AnaserdCounty Galway0.87
Annaghmore LoughCounty Roscommon0.53
Lough AnureCounty Donegal1.59
Ardderry LoughCounty Galway0.81
Lough ArrowCounty Sligo and County Roscommon12.47
Lough AtedaunCounty Clare0.38
Lough AtorickCounty Clare1
Aughrusbeg LoughCounty Galway0.5
Ballycuirke LoughCounty Galway0.74
Ballynahinch LakeCounty Galway1.7
Ballysaggart LoughCounty Tyrone*
Lough BaneCounty Meath and Westmeath0.75
Lough BarraCounty Donegal0.63
Lough BegCounty Londonderry and County Antrim*4.7
Belhavel LoughCounty Leitrim1.01
Lough BeltraCounty Mayo4.1
Lough BodergCounty Roscommon and County Leitrim5.1
Lough BofinCounty Galway0.92
Lough BofinCounty Leitrim and County Roscommon2.6
Lough BrackleyCounty Cavan1.7
Lough BunnyCounty Clare1.03
Cam Lough County Armagh 0.72
Caragh LakeCounty Kerry4.9
Lough CarraCounty Mayo15.6
Carrigadrohid LakeCounty Cork5.8
Carrickaport LoughCounty Leitrim0.46
Carrowmore LakeCounty Mayo9.3
Castlefore LoughCounty Leitrim0.21
Cavetown LoughCounty Roscommon0.64
Clea LakeCounty Armagh*
Cloonacleigha LoughCounty Sligo0.62
Cloonagh LoughCounty Roscommon0.71
Cloonaghlin LoughCounty Kerry1.28
Middle Cloonee LoughCounty Kerry0.71
Lough ConnCounty Mayo48.5
Lough ConwayCounty Leitrim0.6
Lough CorribCounty Galway and County Mayo172.9
Lough CorryCounty Roscommon1.5
Lough CraghyCounty Donegal0.5
Cross LoughCounty Mayo1.11
Lough CullaunCounty Clare0.5
Lough CullaunyheedaCounty Clare1.55
Lough CullinCounty Mayo10.2
Lough CurraneCounty Kerry10.4
Lough CutraCounty Galway3.9
Lough DanCounty Wicklow1
Glendalough Upper LakeCounty Wicklow
Lough DergCounties Clare, Galway and Tipperary122.2
Lough DergCounty Donegal8.8
Lough DerravaraghCounty Westmeath9.1
Derryclare LoughCounty Galway2.24
Doo LoughCounty Clare1.3
Doo LoughCounty Mayo1.55
Dromore LoughCounty Clare0.49
Drumaleague LoughCounty Leitrim0.05
Durnesh LoughCounty Donegal0.70
Lough Eidin (Drumharlow Lake)County Roscommon2.8
Dunglow LoughCounty Donegal0.61
Lough DunleweyCounty Donegal1.1
Easky LoughCounty Sligo1.2
Lough EgishCounty Monaghan1.2
Enagh LoughCounty Londonderry*
Lough EnnellCounty Westmeath11.6
Lower Lough ErneCounty Fermanagh*109
Upper Lough ErneCounty Fermanagh*34
Errit LoughCounty Roscommon0.82
Lough EskeCounty Donegal3.8
Lough FeeCounty Galway1.74
Lough FeeaghCounty Mayo4
Lough FernCounty Donegal1.81
Lough FinnCounty Donegal1.2
Lough ForbesCounty Longford3
Lough FunshinaghCounty Roscommon3.8
Lough FurnaceCounty Mayo1.8
Lough GaraCounty Sligo12.6
Garadice LoughCounty Leitrim3.9
Gartan LoughCounty Donegal2.05
Lough GillCounty Sligo13.8
Lough GillCounty Kerry1.4
Glanmore LakeCounty Kerry0.57
Glen LoughCounty Donegal1.68
Glenade LoughCounty Leitrim0.7
Glenbeg LoughCounty Cork0.66
Glencar LoughCounty Leitrim and County Sligo1.2
Glendollagh LoughCounty Galway0.83
Lough GlenicmurrinCounty Galway1.7
Lough GolaghCounty Donegal0.6
Lough GownaCounty Cavan and County Longford4.2
Lough GraneyCounty Clare3.7
Lough GuitaneCounty Kerry2.46
Lough Gullion[21]County Armagh1.3
Lough GurCounty Limerick0.8
Lough InaghCounty Galway3.1
Inchicronan LoughCounty Clare1.2
Inchiquin LoughCounty Clare1.08
Inchiquin LoughCounty Kerry0.77
Lough InniscarraCounty Cork4.9
LoughinislandCounty Down*
Lough IronCounty Westmeath
Lough Island ReavyCounty Down*1
Islandeady LoughCounty Mayo1.39
Keshcarrigan LoughCounty Leitrim0.39
Lough KeyCounty Roscommon8.9
Kilglass LoughCounty Roscommon2.02
Killinure LoughCounty Westmeath2.6
Kiltooris LoughCounty Donegal0.43
Lough KinaleCounties Longford, Westmeath and Cavan1.95
Kindrum LoughCounty Donegal0.61
Kylemore LoughCounty Galway1.32
Lady's Island LakeCounty Wexford3
Lough LeaneCounty Kerry19.78
Lough LeneCounty Westmeath4.2
Lettercraffroe LoughCounty Galway0.82
Levally LoughCounty Mayo1.23
Lickeen LoughCounty Clare0.84
Lower Lough MacNean[22]County Fermanagh4.6
Upper Lough MacNean[23]County Fermanagh*, County Cavan and County Leitrim10
Lough MarraveCounty Leitrim0.1
Lough MaskCounty Mayo and County Galway83.4
Maumeen LoughCounty Galway0.56
Maumwee LoughCounty Galway0.28
Lough MeelaCounty Donegal0.57
Lough MeelaghCounty Roscommon1.16
Lough MelvinCounty Fermanagh* and County Leitrim22.1
Lough MourneCounty Donegal0.67
Muckanagh LoughCounty Clare0.96
Lough MucknoCounty Monaghan3.6
Muckross LakeCounty Kerry2.7
Lough Nacung UpperCounty Donegal2.1
Lough NafooeyCounty Galway2.5
Lough NeaghCounties Antrim, Down, Armagh, Tyrone and Londonderry396
Lough O'FlynnCounty Roscommon1.37
Lough OughterCounty Cavan6.6
Lough OwelCounty Westmeath10.2
Poulaphouca ReservoirCounty Wicklow19.5
Portmore LoughCounty Antrim*2.86
Lough RamorCounty Cavan7.1
Lough ReaCounty Galway3
Lough ReeCounty Westmeath, County Longford and County Roscommon106.1
Rinn LoughCounty Leitrim1.65
Ross LakeCounty Galway1.4
Lough ScurCounty Leitrim1.14
Lough SheelinCounty Cavan, County Meath and County Westmeath18.2
Lough SheeverCounty Westmeath
Lough ShindillaCounty Galway0.7
Lough SillanCounty Cavan1.6
Lough SkeanCounty Roscommon1.14
St. John's LoughCounty Leitrim1.46
Tacumshin LakeCounty Wexford3.2
Lough TaltCounty Sligo1.1
Lough TayCounty Wicklow0.5
Templehouse LoughCounty Sligo1.2
Upper Lake, KillarneyCounty Kerry1.7
Upper Lough SkeaghCounty Cavan0.61
Urlaur LoughCounty Mayo1.15
Lough VeaghCounty Donegal2.61
White LoughCounty Monaghan0.54
Loughs Yganavan and NambrackdarrigCounty Kerry

Brackish loughs

An example of a brackish lagoon is Lady's Island Lake, County Wexford

Turloughs

Reservoirs

Sea loughs

Fjords

See also

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lakes of Ireland.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lakes of Northern Ireland.
  1. ↑ EPA Water Quality in Ireland 2010–2015, Section 3.1, page 27. Environmental Protection Agency, 2017. ISBN 978-1-84095-735-8.
  2. ↑ Ordnance Survey Ireland: Mountains, Rivers and Lakes
  3. ↑ Fishing in Ireland, Lough Derg
  4. ↑ UK Environmental Change Network, Lough Erne
  5. ↑ Ordnance Survey Ireland Generalised Rivers & Lakes dataset (attribute table)
  6. ↑ Lagarosiphon major – An Aggressive Invasive Species in Lough Corrib
  7. ↑ World Lake Database Archived 2015-06-21 at the Wayback Machine
  8. ↑ Heavily Modified Water Bodies – North Western River Basin District P.31 "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 October 2014. Retrieved 25 October 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  9. ↑ World Lake Database Archived 2015-06-21 at the Wayback Machine
  10. ↑ Mayo County Council P.8
  11. ↑ Mayo County Council P.12
  12. ↑ “The trophic status of Lough Conn” P.7 by Mayo County Council
  13. ↑ EPA P158
  14. ↑ Heavily Modified Water Bodies – North Western River Basin District P.29 "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 October 2014. Retrieved 25 October 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  15. ↑ EPA P159
  16. ↑ North South Shared Aquatic Resource (NS Share) P.15
  17. ↑ North South Shared Aquatic Resource (NS Share) P.16
  18. ↑ Sampling fish for the Water Framework Directive P.3
  19. ↑ Glen Fia: Lakes of Killarney
  20. ↑ "A Reference Based Typology and Ecological Assessment System for Irish Lakes" (PDF). Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland). 2006. pp. 10–13. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
  21. ↑ Northern Ireland Environment Agency
  22. ↑ Inland Fisheries of Ireland: Sampling Fish (Page 2)
  23. ↑ Inland Fisheries of Ireland: Sampling Fish (Page 2)
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