Caragh Lake
Caragh Lake (Irish: Loch Cárthaí),[2] also Lough Caragh, is a lake in the Reeks District in County Kerry, Ireland. The lake was formed by the damming of the Caragh River.[3] The lake is between the town of Killorglin and the village of Glenbeigh.
| Caragh Lake | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Location in Ireland | |
| Location | County Kerry |
| Coordinates | 52°3′58″N 9°51′10″W |
| Native name | Loch Cárthaí (Irish) |
| Catchment area | 162.54 km2 (62.76 sq mi) |
| Basin countries | Ireland |
| Surface area | 4.91 km2 (1.90 sq mi) |
| Surface elevation | 15 m (49 ft) |
| References | [1] |
Caragh Lake railway station was on the Great Southern and Western Railway line which ran from Farranfore to Valentia Harbour.
Ecology
The lake is included within a large Special Area of Conservation: Killarney National Park, Macgillycuddy's Reeks and Caragh River Catchment SAC.[4] Most of Caragh Lake falls under this designation as an SAC.[5] The rare Kerry slug was first discovered near this lake in 1842.[6][7] The lake is glacial in origin.
Luxury properties
The north-eastern corner of the lake, particularly surrounding the townland of Glannagilliagh,[8] is home to a number of holiday properties,[9] built from the 1970s onwards,[5] which have views of the lake and MacGillycuddy's Reeks mountains.[9][10] In a 2015 article in the The Irish Examiner, the view across the lake from Glannagilliagh was described as being possibly "the most beautiful westerly view in Kerry".[6]
Since the discovery of the rare Kerry slug and designation of the area as a Special Area of Conservation, planning permission for the construction of new homes has become difficult.[6][5] Many of the luxury properties pre-date this ruling however, and extend to the lakeshore itself, including private slipways for the launching of boats.[6][9][5][10] In 2016, real estate agents Savills noted that there was a premium on lakeside houses in the area, and that getting planning permission for a new build at the same scale as some of those existing would "be out of the question".[9]
Although frequently only purchased with the intention of being used as holiday homes, properties in the area often sell for millions of euro.[9][5][6][10][11]
References
- Free, Gary; Little, Ruth; Tierney, Deirdre; Donnelly, Karol & Caroni, Rossana (2006). A Reference Based Typology and Ecological Assessment System for Irish Lakes (PDF) (Report). Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland). p. 10. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
- "Loch Cárthaí/Lough Caragh". Placenames Database of Ireland (logainm.ie). Government of Ireland - Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and Dublin City University. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
- "What to do and see in the Caragh Lake area". Caraghlake.typepad.com. Retrieved 24 September 2012.
- "Killarney National Park, Macgillycuddy's Reeks and Caragh River Catchment SAC". National Parks and Wildlife Service (Ireland). Retrieved 8 March 2020.
- Barker, Tommy (12 July 2014). "Lake House is a real slice of paradise". The Irish Examiner. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
- Delongchamps, Kya (4 July 2015). "Unique gardens with breathtaking views at Caragh Lake, Killorglin". The Irish Examiner. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
- Viney, Michael, "Problems with plan for protection of slugs", Irish Times, 15 May 2010.
- "Gleann na gCoileach/Glannagilliagh". Logainm.ie.
- Dromey, Trish (14 May 2016). "Fronting Caragh Lake, this property has stunning views in Co Kerry". The Irish Examiner. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
- Barker, Tommy (20 June 2015). "Co Kerry woodland haven is an art house hideaway". The Irish Examiner. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
- Dromey, Trish (20 February 2023). "Live a life of waterside luxury with €1.1m Caragh Lake House". The Irish Examiner. Retrieved 1 June 2023.