Garadice Lough

Garadice Lough (Irish: Loch Guth Ard Deas (meaning The South Lake of the High Voice),[4][5] also known as Garadice Lake or Lough Garadice, is a freshwater lake in County Leitrim, Ireland. It is located in the south of the county and now forms part of the Shannon–Erne Waterway.

Garadice Lough
Location in Ireland
LocationCounty Leitrim
Coordinates54°2′52″N 7°43′5″W
Native nameLoch Fionnmhaí  (Irish)
Primary inflowsShannon–Erne Waterway
Primary outflowsShannon–Erne Waterway
Catchment area183.91 km2 (71.0 sq mi)
Basin countriesNorthern Ireland, Republic of Ireland
Max. width3 km (2 mi)
Surface area3.89 km2 (1.50 sq mi)
Average depth5 m (16 ft)
Max. depth20 m (66 ft)
Surface elevation49 m (161 ft)
Islands3
References[1][2][3]

Geography

Garadice Lough is located 8 kilometres (5 mi) east of Ballinamore in South Leitrim.[2] It is about 3 km (2 mi) wide from west to east and covers an area of 3.89 square kilometres (1.5 sq mi).[1][6] The lake has three islands, two of which are named: Church Island[7] and Cherry Island (Irish: Cloch-inse-na-dtorc).[6]

Hydrology

Garadice Lough now forms part of the Shannon–Erne Waterway. Its inflow was formerly named the Yellow River and the outflow was the Woodford River[8] (Irish: Sruth Gráinne, meaning 'the Gravelly Stream' or 'the Gravelly River'; also anglicised as the River Gráinne or the Graine River). The Woodford River flows out of Little Garadice Lake, which is on the eastern edge of Garadice Lough, with the river flowing north-eastwards via Ballyconnell, eventually emptying into Upper Lough Erne near Teemore in the south of County Fermanagh.

Natural history

Fish present in Garadice Lough include tench, roach, bream and pike. Large pike have been caught here weighing 10 kg (22 lb) or more.[9]

Ecology

The water quality was reported to be satisfactory c. 2001 – c. 2003 with a mesotrophic rating,[10] improving to oligotrophic status c. 2004 – c. 2006, before dropping back to mesotrophic rating c. 2007 – c. 2009.[n 1] Zebra mussel infestation is present.[12] The ecology of Garadice Lough, and other Irish waterways, remains threatened by curly waterweed, and freshwater clam invasive species.[13][14]

History

The earliest surviving mention of the lake is in the 9th century Vita tripartita Sancti Patricii, in connection with the crossing of the lake by Saint Patrick on his way to destroy the idol Crom Cruach. In medieval times Garadice Lough was known as Lough Finvoy (Irish: Loch Finn Mhagh, meaning 'The Lake of the White Plain').[8] The lake is mentioned several times in the Irish Annals- Annals of the Four Masters 1386 and Annals of Connacht 1257 & 1418. In about 1257 the fortress "Cloch-inse-na-dtorc, in Lough Finvoy, was burned by O'Rourke" (a King of West Breifne).[15]

See also
  • List of loughs in Ireland

References and notes

Notes
  1. Trophic states of "Oligotrophic" and "Mesotrophic" are desirable, but freshwater lakes rated 'Eutrophic' or 'Hypertrophic' indicates pollution.[11]

Primary sources
  1. "A Reference Based Typology and Ecological Assessment System for Irish Lakes" (PDF). Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland). 2006. p. 11. Retrieved 31 Jul 2015.
  2. "Garadice Lake". Inland Fisheries Ireland. Retrieved 31 Jul 2015.
  3. "OSI Mapviewer". Ordnance Survey Ireland. Archived from the original on 13 February 2011. Retrieved 31 Jul 2015.
  4. White, Kevin. "The Plain of Blood, A Study of the Ritual Landscape of Magh Slecht, Co. Cavan". Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  5. Dalton, John P.: Cromm Cruaich of Magh Sleacht, in Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy, Vol. XXXVI (1921-1924), Section C, pp.23-67.
  6. Google (31 Jul 2015). "Garadice Lough" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 31 Jul 2015.
  8. Joyce, Patrick Weston (2007) [1883]. The Geography of the Counties of Ireland. pp. 66, 127.
  9. "Lough Garadice" (PDF). Waterways Ireland. Retrieved 31 Jul 2015.
  10. Clenaghan, Clinton, Crowe 2005, pp. 97.
  11. Clenaghan, Clinton, Crowe 2005, pp. 8.
  12. EPA 2010, pp. 80.
  13. Pedreschi, Kelly-Quinn, Caffrey, O’Grady, Mariani, Phillimore 2014.
  14. Clenaghan, Clinton, Crowe 2005, pp. 16.
  15. 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. 1257.9 CELT editions. Full scans at Internet Archive: Vol. 1; Vol. 2; Vol. 3; Vol. 4; Vol. 5; Vol. 6; Indices.

Secondary sources
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