Lough Erne, "The Windermere of Ireland"

Lough Erne, "The Windermere of Ireland"

Lough Derg--Pilgrimage--Magazine--Narrative

An account of Lough Derg from a late-nineteenth-century pilgrim.

Matthew Russell, 1834-1912

'Lough Derg: By a Recent Pilgrim', The Irish Monthly: A Magazine of General Literature Sixth Yearly Volume, p. 21

M.H. Gill & Son, Dublin

1878

Sponsored and digitised by Google, Princeton University Library

Public domain

Article

English

Magazine Article

DD_0431

54.479718, -8.093033

https://archive.org/details/irishmonthlyvol01unkngoog/page/n5

"From Ballyshannon to Belleek, the roads runs quite near the Erne, and affords some fine views of the impetuous river plunging down that rocky staircase to the sea. At Belleek, on an island in the river, is Mr. M’Birney's factory, where the famous Belleek pottery is made. The works are courteously open to strangers, and well worthy of a visit. Here the Erne pours its wealth of waters over a broken ledge of limestone rock, nearly fourteen feet high, and then rushes onward over its rugged bed between two perpendicular walls of rocks, gracefully overhung with the boughs of the mountain ash and drooping willow. In its course from Belleek to the sea, a distance of not more than four miles, the river falls 140 feet, and the available water-power has been estimated at about 100,000 horse-power, hardly any of which is utilised except at Belleek. From this place to Castlecaldwell the banks of the stream are able to confine its abounding waters within due limits ; but at Boscur, near the ruined castle of Caol-uisque, or the Narrow-water, the scene of many a bloody fray in the stirring days of Tyrconnell, the river expands into what is, perhaps, the finest lake in Ireland, extending from Enniskillen to Castlecaldwell, a distance of twenty miles, with an average breadth of four or five miles. During the remainder of the journey to Pettigoe, the eye never tires of contemplating that vast and beautiful expanse of water. 'Every step produces change, and every change delights.' The lake contains 28,000 statute acres, and embraces 109 islets, the largest of which. Boa Island, opposite Pettigoe, contains 1,300 acres ; and all, or nearly all, are beautifully wooded down to the water's edge. Exceeding creeks and shallow bays, sloping lawns and stately mansions, broad domains and cultured leas, ruined castle and round tower, mountain and moorland — the dark-brown of the heather strongly contrasting with the gleam of the sun-bright waters, and the vivid green of the woods — all combine to lend their charms to the entrancing beauty of this 'Windermere of Ireland.'"

Article