View source for Lough MacNean

{{Short description|Freshwater lake in Ireland}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}}
{{EngvarB|date=March 2020}}
{{Infobox body of water
| name = Lough MacNean
| native_name ={{native name|ga|Loch Mac nÉan}}
| pushpin_map = Island of Ireland
| pushpin_label_position = none
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in Ireland
| image = Inishee Island, Lough Macnean Lower - geograph.org.uk - 984290.jpg
| caption = Inishee on Lower Lough MacNean
| image_bathymetry = {{Css Image Crop
| Image = Baronies of Leitrim.jpg
| bSize = 900
| cWidth = 230
| cHeight = 165
| oTop = 290
| oLeft = 470
| Location = center
| Description = 
}}
| caption_bathymetry = Map showing Upper (''left'') and Lower (''right'') Lough MacNean (1900).
| location = [[County Fermanagh]]; [[County Cavan]]; [[County Leitrim]]
| coords = {{coord|54|17|20|N|7|50|0|W|type:waterbody_region:GB|display=inline,title}}
| type = [[Freshwater]]
| inflow = 
| outflow = [[Arney River]]
| catchment = 
| basin_countries = [[Northern Ireland]], [[Republic of Ireland]]
| length = 
| width = 
| area = 
| depth = 
| max-depth = 
| volume = 
| residence_time = 
| shore = 
| elevation = 
| frozen = 
| islands = 
| cities = [[Belcoo]], [[Blacklion]], [[Glenfarne]]
}}
[[File:Lough Macnean Upper - geograph.org.uk - 1089807.jpg|thumb|Upper Lough MacNean]]
[[File:Lower Lough MacNean.JPG|thumb|Looking toward Cushrush on Lower Lough MacNean]]
'''Lough MacNean''' ({{Irish derived place name|Loch Mac nÉan|Mac nÉan's lake}})<ref name=logainm>[http://www.logainm.ie/1166387.aspx Placenames Database of Ireland]</ref> is a large freshwater lake on [[Irish border|the border]] between [[Northern Ireland]] and the [[Republic of Ireland]].

It is in two parts. Lower Lough MacNean (or Lough Nilly),<ref name=logainm/><ref>The English Cyclopedia 1867 Page 498 " ... and is connected by a short stream about half a mile in length with Lough Nitty (sometimes called Lower Lough Macnean), .."</ref> the smaller eastern lake, is wholly within [[County Fermanagh]] (in Northern Ireland). Upper Lough MacNean, the larger western lake, is split between Fermanagh, [[County Cavan]] and [[County Leitrim]] (in the Republic of Ireland). On the strip of land between the two lakes are the villages of [[Belcoo]] (Fermanagh) and [[Blacklion]] (Cavan). A river runs between the villages, linking the eastern and western lakes.<ref name=osi>[http://maps.osi.ie/publicviewer Ordnance Survey Ireland: Map Viewer]</ref> 
 
The shape of Lough MacNean changed during the 1960s when a major draining operation took place; before this, the lake was used for [[eel]] [[fishing]], but [[dredging]] during the drainage process decimated their numbers.

==Islands==
;Upper Lough MacNean<ref name=osi/>
*Bilberry Island
*Garrow (or Buck) Islands
*Inishkeen
*Inishteig
*Kilrooskagh Island ({{Irish derived place name|Coill Rúsgach|wood of the morass}})
*Patrick's Island
*Port Island
*Rosscorkey Island
*Trawnish ({{Irish derived place name|Tráinis|shore/strand island}})
*Tuam Island ({{Irish derived place name|Tuaim|tumulus}})

;Lower Lough MacNean<ref name=osi/>
*Cushrush Island
*Inishee ({{Irish derived place name|Inis Aodha|Aodh's island}})

Cushrush, Inishteig, Kilrooscagh and Rosscorkey are now fayed to the land by small bridges.<ref name=osi/> Cushrush seems to have been dwelt since the [[Mesolithic]] period as many [[microlithic]] [[flint]] tools have been found there.

There are also the remains of two [[crannog]]s; one in each lake.<ref name=osi/> These were small manmade (or partially manmade) islands used as dwellings in ancient times.

== See also ==
* [[List of loughs in Ireland]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{commons category multi|Lower Lough MacNean|Upper Lough MacNean}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090109054227/http://www.ni-environment.gov.uk/landscape/country_landscape/5.htm The Lough Macnean Valley] – Northern Ireland Environment Agency

{{County Fermanagh}}
{{County Cavan}}
{{County Leitrim}}


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{{DEFAULTSORT:MacNean, Lough}}
[[Category:Lakes of County Fermanagh]]
[[Category:Lakes of County Cavan]]
[[Category:Lakes of County Leitrim]]


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{{Cavan-geo-stub}}
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