Lough Corrib (Loch Coirib)

The Republic's largest lake, dividing Galway city from Connemara.

Lough Corrib is the biggest lake wholly within the Republic of Ireland, said to hold an island for every day of the year. It is renowned for wild brown trout and for the ruins of Inchagoill's early monastery.

At a glance

• Largest lake in the Republic of Ireland
• Reputedly 365 islands
• Famous wild brown-trout fishery

In County Galway

Lough Corrib is in County Galway, Gaillimh in Irish, which means “the stony river (the River Corrib)”.

More in Galway

• Aran Islands (Oileáin Árann): A group of three islands located at the mouth of Galway Bay.
• Connemara Gaeltacht (Conamara): The largest and best-known Irish-speaking region, a wild landscape of bog, mountain and Atlantic coastline.
• The Twelve Bens (Na Beanna Beola): A rugged range of quartzite peaks at the heart of Connemara.
• Kylemore Abbey (Mainistir na Coille Móire): A romantic lakeside castle turned Benedictine abbey in Connemara.
• Dún Aonghasa (Dún Aonghasa): A spectacular prehistoric stone fort on the cliff-edge of Inis Mór.

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 Corrib is Loch Coirib. 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.