Loch Na Fooey
Encyclopedia
Loch Na Fooey is a rectangular shaped glacial lake
situated in County Galway
. Part of the north-eastern shore lies along the border to County Mayo
. The closest village is Finny, Co. Mayo with the picturesque Galway
village of Leenaun
(and Ireland's only "fjord
", Killary Harbour
) approximately 11 km distant.
Occasionally the lake may also be referred to as Loch Nafooey, or Lough Nafooey.
At approximately 2.5 miles long and 0.5 miles wide, Loch Na Fooey is set in a steep-sided valley, surrounded by the rugged mountains of Galway to the south and Mayo's Partry mountains
(Sliabh Phartraí in Irish
) to the north. A number of rivers feed the lake, including the River Fooey (in Irish
Abhainn na Fuaiche), which rises from the Devil’s Mother mountain and enters the lake at the western shore. The Finny River, rising from the south-east of the lake drains into the southwest of part Lough Mask
. Also many mountain streams flow into the lake. The lake has a small sandy shore on its western end.
The area around Loch Na Fooey is renowned as the site of the ancient "Finny volcano" (490 million years ago), formed as the Iapetus Ocean
closed to bring the two halves of Ireland together. The volcano's landform is now gone but some of volcanic rocks are preserved in the area, including pillow lava
s, and breccia
.
There is a small funnel-shaped island close to the south-eastern shore known as Red Island (An tOileán Rua)
The unpolluted waters hold a range of fish including wild brown trout
and pike
.
The locality offers many opportunities for walks, both for experienced hill walkers and for those who prefer something less challenging. The following high peaks in the locality all provide a good challenge: Bunacunneen, Devil's Mother, Leynabricka, Skeltia and Buckaun.
Glacial lake
A glacial lake is a lake with origins in a melted glacier. Near the end of the last glacial period, roughly 10,000 years ago, glaciers began to retreat. A retreating glacier often left behind large deposits of ice in hollows between drumlins or hills. As the ice age ended, these melted to create...
situated in County Galway
County Galway
County Galway is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the city of Galway. Galway County Council is the local authority for the county. There are several strongly Irish-speaking areas in the west of the county...
. Part of the north-eastern shore lies along the border to County Mayo
County Mayo
County Mayo is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the village of Mayo, which is now generally known as Mayo Abbey. Mayo County Council is the local authority for the county. The population of the county is 130,552...
. The closest village is Finny, Co. Mayo with the picturesque Galway
County Galway
County Galway is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the city of Galway. Galway County Council is the local authority for the county. There are several strongly Irish-speaking areas in the west of the county...
village of Leenaun
Leenaun
Leenaun , also Leenane, is a village and 1,845 acre townland in County Galway, Ireland. It is on the shore of Killary Harbour , on the northern edge of Connemara and is on the route of the Western Way long-distance trail...
(and Ireland's only "fjord
Fjord
Geologically, a fjord is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created in a valley carved by glacial activity.-Formation:A fjord is formed when a glacier cuts a U-shaped valley by abrasion of the surrounding bedrock. Glacial melting is accompanied by rebound of Earth's crust as the ice...
", Killary Harbour
Killary Harbour
Killary Harbour/An Caoláire Rua is a fjord located in the West of Ireland in the heart of Connemara which forms a natural border between counties Galway and Mayo. It is 16 kilometres long and in the centre over 45 metres deep...
) approximately 11 km distant.
Occasionally the lake may also be referred to as Loch Nafooey, or Lough Nafooey.
At approximately 2.5 miles long and 0.5 miles wide, Loch Na Fooey is set in a steep-sided valley, surrounded by the rugged mountains of Galway to the south and Mayo's Partry mountains
Partry Mountains
The Partry Mountains is a mountain range in County Mayo on the west coast of Ireland. The highest peak in the Partry Mountains is Maumtrasna which rises to . The mountain range overlooks Lough Mask and the area is often referred to as Joyce Country.- References :*...
(Sliabh Phartraí in Irish
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
) to the north. A number of rivers feed the lake, including the River Fooey (in Irish
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
Abhainn na Fuaiche), which rises from the Devil’s Mother mountain and enters the lake at the western shore. The Finny River, rising from the south-east of the lake drains into the southwest of part Lough Mask
Lough Mask
Lough Mask is a limestone lough of 22,000 acres in County Mayo, Ireland, north of Lough Corrib. Lough Mask is the upper of the two lakes, which empty into the Corrib River, through Galway, into Galway Bay. The lake is visited for its trout fishing...
. Also many mountain streams flow into the lake. The lake has a small sandy shore on its western end.
The area around Loch Na Fooey is renowned as the site of the ancient "Finny volcano" (490 million years ago), formed as the Iapetus Ocean
Iapetus Ocean
The Iapetus Ocean was an ocean that existed in the Neoproterozoic and Paleozoic eras of the geologic timescale . The Iapetus Ocean was situated in the southern hemisphere, between the paleocontinents of Laurentia, Baltica and Avalonia...
closed to bring the two halves of Ireland together. The volcano's landform is now gone but some of volcanic rocks are preserved in the area, including pillow lava
Pillow lava
Pillow lavas are lavas that contain characteristic pillow-shaped structures that are attributed to the extrusion of the lava under water, or subaqueous extrusion. Pillow lavas in volcanic rock are characterized by thick sequences of discontinuous pillow-shaped masses, commonly up to one metre in...
s, and breccia
Breccia
Breccia is a rock composed of broken fragments of minerals or rock cemented together by a fine-grained matrix, that can be either similar to or different from the composition of the fragments....
.
There is a small funnel-shaped island close to the south-eastern shore known as Red Island (An tOileán Rua)
The unpolluted waters hold a range of fish including wild brown trout
Brown trout
The brown trout and the sea trout are fish of the same species....
and pike
Esox
Esox is a genus of freshwater fish, the only living genus in the family Esocidae — the esocids which were endemic to North America, Europe and Eurasia during the Paleogene through present.The type species is E. lucius, the northern pike...
.
The locality offers many opportunities for walks, both for experienced hill walkers and for those who prefer something less challenging. The following high peaks in the locality all provide a good challenge: Bunacunneen, Devil's Mother, Leynabricka, Skeltia and Buckaun.