Lough Derg

Lough Derg is the name of two lakes in Ireland:

Lough Derg (Ulster)

Lough Derg or Loch Derg (Irish: Loch Dearg) is a lake in County Donegal, Republic of Ireland. It is near the border with Northern Ireland and lies about 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) north of the border village of Pettigo. It is best known for St Patrick's Purgatory, a site of pilgrimage on Station Island in the lake.

The lake is about 890 hectares (2,200 acres) in size, but is quite shallow, making it dangerous during bad weather. It has stocks of pike, perch and brown trout for angling.

Annual Pilgrimage

The traditional three day pilgrimage follows a one-thousand-year-old pattern. It begins on Friday, during which participants may only have one meal. On arrival on the island, participants remove footwear and socks before commencing vocal prayers, walking around the island. A 24-hour night vigil then takes place. Generally, pilgrims depart on Sunday and complete their fast at midnight on Monday morning Organisers prohibit children under fifteen years from participating in the fast.

Lough Derg (Shannon)

Lough Derg, historically Lough Dergart (Irish: Loch Deirgeirt), is a freshwater lake in the Shannon River Basin, Ireland. It is the second-biggest lake in the Republic of Ireland and the third-biggest on the island of Ireland (after Lough Neagh and Lough Corrib).

It is a long, narrow lake, with shores in counties Clare (south-west), Galway (north-west), and Tipperary (to the east). It is the southernmost of three large lakes on the River Shannon; the others being Lough Ree and Lough Allen. Towns and villages on Lough Derg include Portumna, Killaloe & Ballina, Dromineer, Terryglass, Mountshannon and Garrykennedy.

The lake's name evolved from the Irish Loch Deirgdheirc. This was one of the names of The Dagda, an Irish god, and literally means "red eye".

Geography

At its deepest, the lake is 36 metres deep and covers an area of 130 km² (50.2 sq miles). Close downstream from where Lough Derg empties into the Shannon are the falls of Doonass, the largest fall on the otherwise gently sloping river. Nearby is the location of the hydroelectric power plant at Ardnacrusha, which, when built in 1927 was the world's largest.