Lough Gill (Loch Gile)

A wooded lake immortalised by W. B. Yeats and his 'Lake Isle of Innisfree'.

Lough Gill's tree-fringed shores and islands inspired some of Yeats's best-loved poetry, above all 'The Lake Isle of Innisfree', named for one of its small islands. Parke's Castle stands on its northern shore.

At a glance

• Inspired Yeats's 'Lake Isle of Innisfree'
• The isle of Innisfree lies within it
• Parke's Castle on its shore

In County Sligo

Lough Gill is in County Sligo, Sligeach in Irish, which means “shelly place (abounding in shells)”.

More in Sligo

• Benbulben (Binn Ghulbain): The dramatic flat-topped 'table mountain' of County Sligo, at the heart of Yeats Country and Irish legend.
• Carrowmore (An Cheathrú Mhór): One of the largest and oldest megalithic cemeteries in Ireland.

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 Gill is Loch Gile. 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.