Lough Ree

Lough Ree
Lough Ree
Location	Ireland
Coordinates	53°30′N 7°58′W / 53.500°N 7.967°W
Primary inflows	River Shannon
Primary outflows	River Shannon
Basin countries	Republic of Ireland
Islands	Inchcleraun

Lough Ree (Loch Rí in Irish, formerly Loch Ríbh) is a lake in the midlands of Ireland, the second of the three major lakes on the River Shannon. Lough Ree is the second largest lake on the Shannon after Lough Derg. The other two major lakes are Lough Allen to 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 of Longford and Westmeath (both in the province of Leinster) on the eastern side and County Roscommon in the province of Connacht on the western side. The lake is popular for fishing and boating. The lake supports a small commercial eel fishery and is locally famous for its eels on wheels truck. The town of Athlone is situated at the southern end of the lake, and has a harbour for boats going out on the lake. The small town of Lanesboro is at the northern end of the lake.

The island of Inchcleraun (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 that Queen Maeve was killed. The Viking Turgesius had a ringfort on the shores, and islands, from where he oppressed the local Irish populations for many decades, until his death by drowning in Lough Owel.

Families lived on some of the islands in Lough Ree up until the 1950s, when they were rehoused ashore.

Lough Ree has a large number of wave-worn limestone, or mushroom stones around the perimeter.

See also