Lough Marrave facts for kids
- See also: Keshcarrigan Lough, Lough Scur, and St. John's Lough
Quick facts for kids Lough MarraveLoch Marbh |
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|---|---|
| Location | County Leitrim |
| Lake type | Freshwater |
| Primary inflows | Shannon–Erne Waterway |
| Primary outflows | Shannon–Erne Waterway |
| Basin countries | Ireland |
| Surface area | 0.1 km2 (0.039 sq mi) est. |
| Max. depth | 4 m (13 ft) est. |
| Surface elevation | 62 m (203 ft) est. |
Lough Marrave (Irish: Loch Marbh, meaning Dead lake) is a small freshwater lake in county Leitrim in the northwest of Ireland.
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Etymology
(Irish: Loch Marbh) translates to "the dead lake, or lake of death". It is plausible Lough Marrave served a pagan sacrificial purpose, and the Keshcarrigan Bowl was deposited there as a ritual offering. There is a reference in the "Book of Fenagh" to an unidentified and "Irish: Inbher, meaning cursed estuary, pool, or lake" on the "road to Fenagh", with a marginal note attributed to Tadgh O'Roddy (flourit 1700) adding: "no fish was afterwards caught in it; for they (the fishes) cannot even live in that lake". Nevertheless, the origin of the "Dead lake" etymology remains speculative and unknown.
Geography
Lough Marrave lies 1 kilometre (0.6 mi) north east of Keshcarrigan village, and 500 metres (1,640.4 ft) east of Lough Scur. The lake is very small and shallow, covering a surface-area of about 0.1 square kilometres (0.0 sq mi), and might be considered a continuation of Lough Scur, as they share the same level and connected by a half-mile channel. Lough Marrave is connected to St. John's Lough and Lough Scur by the Shannon–Erne Waterway.
Ecology
The presence, and type, of fish found in Lough Marrave is not recorded. The ecology of Leitrim waterways, such as Lough Marrave, is threatened by zebra mussel and other invasive species.
Human settlement
The primary human settlements at Lough Marrave are Keshcarrigan and Fenagh villages. Lough Marrave is bounded by the townlands of Gubroe to the south and east, Killmacsherwell to the north, and Rossy to the west.
Heritage
The Keshcarrigan Bowl was discovered in the canal between Lough Scur and Lough Marrave in the 19th century, c. 1843 – c. 1852, and is today preserved at the National Museum of Ireland.
