Derryclare Lough facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Derryclare Lough |
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 Location in island of Ireland
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| Location | County Galway |
| Coordinates | 53°28′17″N 9°46′38″W / 53.47139°N 9.77722°W |
| Native name | Loch Dhoire an Chláir Error {{native name checker}}: parameter value is malformed (help) |
| Catchment area | 111.73 km2 (43.1 sq mi) |
| Basin countries | Ireland |
| Max. length | 4 km (2.5 mi) |
| Max. width | 1 km (0.6 mi) |
| Surface area | 2.24 km2 (0.86 sq mi) |
| Surface elevation | 10 m (33 ft) |
Derryclare Lough (which means Loch Dhoire an Chláir in Irish) is a beautiful freshwater lake. You can find it in the Inagh Valley, in a part of Ireland called Connemara in Galway. It's located in the west of the country.
Where is Derryclare Lough?
Derryclare Lough is about 20 km (12 mi) east of Clifden. It sits right next to the N59 road. The amazing Twelve Bens mountain range is to the north of the lake. One of these mountains, the Ben of Derryclare, is 677 metres (2,221 ft) tall and looks over the lake.
The lake gets its water from rivers flowing from Lough Inagh. Lough Inagh itself is fed by many mountain streams. The most important ones are the Gleninagh River and the Tooreennacoona River. Water from Derryclare Lough then flows into Ballynahinch Lake. From there, it joins the Owenmore River and finally reaches Bertraghboy Bay.
Fishing at Derryclare Lough
Derryclare Lough is famous for its great fishing. You can catch different types of salmon and sea trout here. People fish from special long piers called "Butts". The most well-known fishing spots are the Derryclare Butts, Glendollagh Butts, and Greenpoint Butts.
The lake and its fishing rights are privately owned. Local fishing lodges in the Inagh Valley manage them. A famous Irish fishing writer, Peter O'Reilly, once said that Derryclare Lough "has everything" for fishing.
A Scenic Spot
Derryclare Lough is a very popular place for its beautiful views. Many people take photos of it. From the lake, you can see directly into the Glencoaghan Valley of the Twelve Bens. You can also see the peaks of the Glencoaghan Horseshoe. This is a challenging 16–kilometre walk that takes about 8–9 hours. It is known as one of Ireland's best hill-walks.
The lake is next to the Derryclare Nature Reserve. This is a special protected area of 19 hectares. It is also near the larger 789-hectare Derryclare Wood. This wood is a commercial conifer forest owned by a company called Coillte.
Gallery
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Derryclare (centre), Bencorr (left), and Bencollaghduff (far left)
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Derryclare with the rest of the Glencoaghan Horseshoe in cloud
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View into the Glencoaghan Horseshoe from Derryclare Lough
