Lough Erne (Loch Éirne)

A vast island-studded lake system in County Fermanagh, dotted with early Christian sites.

Lough Erne (Loch Éirne) is a great system of two connected lakes, Upper and Lower Lough Erne, stretching across County Fermanagh. Its waters are scattered with islands, many holding ancient monastic remains, such as the mysterious stone figures on Boa Island and the monastery of Devenish.

A haven for wildlife and boating, it is one of the jewels of the Ulster lakelands.

At a glance

• A large system of two lakes in Co. Fermanagh.
• Dotted with islands holding early Christian remains.
• Famous for Devenish Island and the Boa Island stone figures.

In County Fermanagh

Lough Erne is in County Fermanagh, Fear Manach in Irish, which means “men of Manach”.

More in Fermanagh

• Devenish Island (Daimhinis): A serene monastic island on Lower Lough Erne, crowned by a perfect round tower.
• Boa Island (Inis Badhbha): A Lough Erne island famed for its enigmatic two-faced stone idol.

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 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.
• Lough Corrib (Loch Coirib): The Republic's largest lake, dividing Galway city from Connemara.

The Irish name

The Irish form of Lough Erne is Loch Éirne. 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.