Lough Carra / Chris Huxley

Includes bibliographic references and index

This book Lough Carra contains valuable information on areas such as archaeology, history and literature. The West of Ireland is renowned for the quantity and quality of its inland waters. Rivers, streams, lough (lakes), ponds and turloughs (seasonal lakes) abound and are scattered across the landscape like jewels. Among these aquatic gems, there is one which is truly unique: Lough Carra in County Mayo. This lough is uppermost in the Carra/Mask/Corrib system that forms a major part of the "Great Western Lakes" of Ireland, draining a huge catchment in the two counties of Mayo and Galway. Althourh relatively small in comparison with Loughs Mask and Corrib, Lough Carra has the distinction of being, at least for the moment, perhaps the best example of a shallow, marl lake in western Europe. As such, it is of enormous ecological and conservation importance. But in this book, we hope to show that it is of similar importance in many other respects, including aesthetic, historical, recreational and cultural. It is a truly wonderful natural resource, which should be treasured, cared for and protected for future generations.