Lough Leane (; , a personal name) is the largest of the three lakes of Killarney, in

County Kerry County Kerry () is a Counties of Ireland, county on the southwest coast of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. It is bordered by two other countie ...

. The River Laune flows from the lake into the

Dingle Bay Dingle Bay (''Bá an Daingin'' in Irish language, Irish) is a bay located in County Kerry, western Ireland. The outer parts of the Dingle Peninsula and Dingle Bay mark one of the westernmost points of mainland Ireland. The harbour town of Ding ...

to the northwest.

Etymology and history

Although the lake's name has been misinterpreted as meaning the "lake of learning" in reference to the monastery on

Innisfallen Innisfallen ( ) or Inishfallen (from , meaning 'Faithlinn's island') is an island in Lough Leane; one of the three Lakes of Killarney in County Kerry, Ireland. Innisfallen is home to the ruins of Innisfallen Abbey. Geography Innisfallen ...

, an island in the lake that was a centre of scholarship in the early Middle Ages, there is no linguistic evidence to support this belief. The lake takes its name from ''Léan Línfhiaclach'', a character mentioned in the ''dindshenchas'' or place-lore tradition. Another historic site, the

tower house A tower house is a particular type of stone structure, built for defensive purposes as well as habitation. Tower houses began to appear in the Middle Ages, especially in mountainous or limited access areas, to command and defend strategic points ...

Ross Castle sits on Ross Island in the lake. Ross Island is rich in copper. Archaeological evidence suggests the island has been mined since the time of the

Bronze Age The Bronze Age () was a historical period characterised principally by the use of bronze tools and the development of complex urban societies, as well as the adoption of writing in some areas. The Bronze Age is the middle principal period of ...

Beaker People The Bell Beaker culture, also known as the Bell Beaker complex or Bell Beaker phenomenon, is an archaeological culture named after the inverted-bell beaker drinking vessel used at the beginning of the European Bronze Age, arising from around ...

Geography

Lough Leane is approximately in size. It is also the largest body of fresh water in the region. It has become

eutrophic Eutrophication is a general term describing a process in which nutrients accumulate in a body of water, resulting in an increased growth of organisms that may deplete the oxygen in the water; ie. the process of too many plants growing on the s ...

as a result of

phosphate Phosphates are the naturally occurring form of the element phosphorus. In chemistry, a phosphate is an anion, salt, functional group or ester derived from a phosphoric acid. It most commonly means orthophosphate, a derivative of orthop ...

s from agricultural and domestic

pollution Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into the natural environment that cause harm. Pollution can take the form of any substance (solid, liquid, or gas) or energy (such as radioactivity, heat, sound, or light). Pollutants, the component ...

entering Lough Leane Reedbed, an important habitat on the edge of Lough Leane. This nutrient enrichment has caused several

algal bloom An algal bloom or algae bloom is a rapid increase or accumulation in the population of algae in fresh water or marine water systems. It is often recognized by the discoloration in the water from the algae's pigments. The term ''algae'' encompass ...

s in recent years. The blooms have not yet had a severe effect on the lake's ecosystem. To prevent further pollution causing a permanent change in the lake's ecosystem, a review of land use in the catchment area is being carried out.

Water quality Water quality refers to the chemical, physical, and biological characteristics of water based on the standards of its usage. It is most frequently used by reference to a set of standards against which compliance, generally achieved through tr ...

in the lake appears to have improved since phosphates were removed from sewage in 1985.

Wildlife

Lough Leane is a habitat for the

critically endangered An IUCN Red List critically endangered (CR or sometimes CE) species is one that has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild. As of December 2023, of t ...

blunt-snouted Irish char (''Salvelinus obtusus'') and Killarney shad (''Alosa killarnensis'').

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Leane Lakes of County Kerry

Etymology and history

Geography

Wildlife

See also

References