Lough Ree (Loch Rí)

A great lake on the River Shannon, dotted with islands and bordering three counties.

Lough Ree (Loch Rí, 'the lake of the kings') is one of the largest lakes on the River Shannon, bordering counties Longford, Westmeath and Roscommon. Its waters are scattered with islands, many holding the ruins of early Christian churches and monasteries.

A haven for boaters and anglers, it is also known for tales of a mysterious lake creature, the 'Lough Ree monster'.

At a glance

• Loch Rí means 'the lake of the kings'.
• A large lake on the Shannon, bordering three counties.
• Dotted with islands holding early Christian ruins.

In County Longford

Lough Ree is in County Longford, An Longfort in Irish, which means “the fortress / encampment”.

More in Longford

• Lough Gowna (Loch Gamhna): A wooded, island-strewn lake and the source of the River Erne.
• Ardagh (Ardach): A charming heritage village of stone cottages around a green.

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.
• 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 Ree is Loch Rí. 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.