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Caragh Lake

Coordinates: 52°3′58″N 9°51′10″W / 52.06611°N 9.85278°W / 52.06611; -9.85278
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Caragh Lake
Loch Cárthaí (Irish)
Caragh Lake location in Ireland
Caragh Lake location in Ireland
Location in Ireland
LocationCounty Kerry
Coordinates52°3′58″N 9°51′10″W / 52.06611°N 9.85278°W / 52.06611; -9.85278
Catchment area162.54 km2 (62.76 sq mi)
Basin countriesIreland
Surface area4.91 km2 (1.90 sq mi)
Surface elevation15 m (49 ft)
References[1]
View from Caragh Lake Mountain

Caragh Lake (Irish: Loch Cárthaí),[2] also Lough Caragh, is a lake in the Reeks District in County Kerry, Ireland. The lake was formed by the damming of the Caragh River.[3] The lake is between the town of Killorglin and the village of Glenbeigh.

Caragh Lake railway station was on the Great Southern and Western Railway line which ran from Farranfore to Valentia Harbour.

Sailing on Caragh Lake

Ecology

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The lake is included within a large Special Area of Conservation: Killarney National Park, Macgillycuddy's Reeks and Caragh River Catchment SAC.[4] Most of Caragh Lake falls under this designation as an SAC.[5] The rare Kerry slug was first discovered near this lake in 1842.[6][7] The lake is glacial in origin.

Luxury properties

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The north-eastern corner of the lake, particularly surrounding the townland of Glannagilliagh,[8] is home to a number of holiday properties,[9] built from the 1970s onwards,[5] which have views of the lake and MacGillycuddy's Reeks mountains.[9][10] In a 2015 article in The Irish Examiner, the view across the lake from Glannagilliagh was described as being possibly "the most beautiful westerly view in Kerry".[6]

Since the discovery of the rare Kerry slug and designation of the area as a Special Area of Conservation, planning permission for the construction of new homes has become difficult.[6][5] Many of the luxury properties pre-date this ruling however, and extend to the lakeshore itself, including private slipways for the launching of boats.[6][9][5][10] In 2016, real estate agents Savills noted that there was a premium on lakeside houses in the area, and that getting planning permission for a new build at the same scale as some of those existing would "be out of the question".[9]

Although frequently only purchased with the intention of being used as holiday homes, properties in the area often sell for millions of euro.[9][5][6][10][11]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Free, Gary; Little, Ruth; Tierney, Deirdre; Donnelly, Karol & Caroni, Rossana (2006). A Reference Based Typology and Ecological Assessment System for Irish Lakes (PDF) (Report). Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland). p. 10. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
  2. ^ "Loch Cárthaí/Lough Caragh". Placenames Database of Ireland (logainm.ie). Government of Ireland - Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and Dublin City University. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
  3. ^ "What to do and see in the Caragh Lake area". Caraghlake.typepad.com. Retrieved 24 September 2012.
  4. ^ "Killarney National Park, Macgillycuddy's Reeks and Caragh River Catchment SAC". National Parks and Wildlife Service (Ireland). Retrieved 8 March 2020.
  5. ^ a b c d e Barker, Tommy (12 July 2014). "Lake House is a real slice of paradise". The Irish Examiner. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  6. ^ a b c d e Delongchamps, Kya (4 July 2015). "Unique gardens with breathtaking views at Caragh Lake, Killorglin". The Irish Examiner. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  7. ^ Viney, Michael, "Problems with plan for protection of slugs", Irish Times, 15 May 2010.
  8. ^ "Gleann na gCoileach/Glannagilliagh". Logainm.ie.
  9. ^ a b c d e Dromey, Trish (14 May 2016). "Fronting Caragh Lake, this property has stunning views in Co Kerry". The Irish Examiner. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  10. ^ a b c Barker, Tommy (20 June 2015). "Co Kerry woodland haven is an art house hideaway". The Irish Examiner. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  11. ^ Dromey, Trish (20 February 2023). "Live a life of waterside luxury with €1.1m Caragh Lake House". The Irish Examiner. Retrieved 1 June 2023.