Lough Allen (Loch Aillionn)

The first of the great lakes on the River Shannon.

Lough Allen is the highest large lake on the Shannon, cradled between the Iron and Arigna Mountains. The surrounding hills were once mined for iron and coal, and the lake now anchors Leitrim's quiet boating country.

At a glance

• First major lake on the River Shannon
• Set between the Iron and Arigna Mountains
• Historic iron and coal mining nearby

In County Leitrim

Lough Allen is in County Leitrim, Liatroim in Irish, which means “grey ridge”.

More in Leitrim

• Glencar Waterfall (Eas Ghleann an Chairthe): A beautiful waterfall in a wooded glen, immortalised in the poetry of W. B. Yeats.
• Lough Melvin (Loch Meilbhe): A clear border lake famed for its rare native trout.

Other places of this kind

• Lough Neagh (Loch nEathach): The largest freshwater lake in Ireland and the British Isles.
• The Lakes of Killarney (Loch Léin): Three beautiful lakes ringed by mountains and ancient woodland at the heart of Killarney National Park.
• Lough Erne (Loch Éirne): A vast island-studded lake system in County Fermanagh, dotted with early Christian sites.
• Lough Gur (Loch Gair): A horseshoe lake in County Limerick surrounded by one of Ireland's richest ancient landscapes.
• Lough Ree (Loch Rí): A great lake on the River Shannon, dotted with islands and bordering three counties.
• Strangford Lough (Loch Cuan): A vast sea lough of tidal islands and rich wildlife.

The Irish name

The Irish form of Lough Allen is Loch Aillionn. You can hear it spoken, and take apart names like it, in the Placename Explorer. The authoritative record for any Irish place-name is logainm.ie.