Lough Tay facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lough Tay |
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| The Guinness Lake | |
Lough Tay with the east-facing granite cliffs of Luggala overlooking behind
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 Lough Tay
Location in Ireland
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| Location | Wicklow Mountains, County Wicklow |
| Coordinates | 53°06′22″N 6°16′00″W / 53.106014°N 6.266763°W |
| Native name | Loch Té Error {{native name checker}}: parameter value is malformed (help) |
| Primary inflows | Cloghoge River |
| Primary outflows | Cloghoge River |
| Basin countries | Ireland |
| Surface area | 48.1 ha (119 acres) |
| Average depth | 10.1 m (33 ft) |
| Max. depth | 35 m (115 ft) |
| Water volume | 0.005 km3 (0.0012 cu mi) |
| Surface elevation | 246 m (807 ft) |
| Islands | none |
Lough Tay (Irish: Loch Té), also known as 'The Guinness Lake', is a beautiful small lake in the Wicklow Mountains in Ireland. It is located on private land and is famous for its stunning views. The lake sits between two mountains, Djouce and Luggala, with tall granite cliffs from Luggala overlooking it. The Cloghoge River flows into Lough Tay and then continues south to Lough Dan. Lough Tay is part of the Guinness Estate.
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Why is it Called the Guinness Lake?
The English name 'Lough Tay' comes from the Irish name, Loch Té. This means 'tea lake'. It got this name because its dark water looks a lot like strong Irish tea.
The lake also has a fun nickname: 'The Guinness Lake'. This name comes from the Guinness family, who used to own the land around the lake. Arthur Guinness was a famous brewer. Some people say the Guinness family even added white sand to a beach on the northern shore. This was done to make the lake look like a giant pint of Guinness beer, with the dark water as the drink and the white sand as the foamy head!
Amazing Views of the Lake
Lough Tay offers some truly amazing views, especially with the cliffs of Luggala behind it. It is a very popular spot for tourists in Wicklow. You can easily see the lake from several car parks along the R759 road. These include the Ballinastoe Wood and J.B. Malone car parks.
For an even better view, you can take a short walk up a boardwalk path. This path leads towards the top of Djouce mountain. You will reach the J.B. Malone memorial stone. This spot is part of the 131-kilometer Wicklow Way trail and gives you a fantastic look over the lake.
Lough Tay in Movies and TV Shows
Lough Tay is a very popular location for filming movies and TV shows. Its stunning scenery makes it a perfect backdrop.
The lake was used as the setting for the fictional village of Kattegat. This village appeared in the popular 2013 historical drama TV series Vikings. Fans of the show will recognize the dramatic landscapes.
Lough Tay has also been featured in other famous films. It appeared in the 1974 movie Zardoz. It was also a key location in the 1981 film Excalibur, directed by John Boorman.
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