Lough Ree is a lake in central Ireland, the second of the three Great Lakes on the River Shannon. Lough Ree is the second largest lake on the River Shannon after Lough Derg. There are also several smaller lakes along the length of the river. The lake serves as a boundary between the counties of Longford and Westmeath (both in the province of Leinster) on the eastern side and the county of Roscommon in the province of Connacht on the western side. The lake is popular for fishing and boating. There is a small commercial eel fishery in the lake and it is locally famous for its wheeled eel truck. At the southern end of the lake lies the town of Athlone. Which has a marina for boats sailing on the lake. The town of Lanesboro is at the north end of the lake.
On the island of Inchcleraun (Inis Cloithreann) in the northern part of the lake there is a monastery founded in the early Christian era and the remains of several ancient churches. The Viking Turgesius ruled the shore of the hillfort until his death by drowning in Lough Owel.
Families lived on some of the islands in Lough Ree including Inchcleraun (Walsh & Farrell), The Black Islands (Hanly & O’Hara), Inchmore (Tiernan, Quigley, Nolan & Keefe), Hare Island (Duffy), Inchbofin (Connell), Inch Turk (Ganly, Slevin & Walsh) and Inchenagh (Shea, Killian & Connaughton) until the 1950s when they moved ashore. Like several other Irish lakes, Lough Ree has been the site of alleged lake monster sightings over the years.
The geographical centre of Ireland is located in the townland of Carnagh East, Co. Roscommon on the western shore of Lough Ree. Opposite the Cribby Islands Also, Hodson’s Column, located on an island in the lake, is said to be the most central point in Ireland.
Ecology
Lough Ree has been designated a Special Area of Conservation. The main habitat is the lake itself, but other habitats, including peat bogs, also occur.
The lake site has been designated as a Special Area of Conservation on the basis of the presence of migratory waterfowl. With nationally important numbers of Tachybaptus ruficollis. It is also an important bird area.
