Enagh Lough is a pair of lakes in Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...

 called East lake and Westlake, situated between Judges Road and Temple Road in Maydown

Maydown

Maydown is a small village and townland in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It is near Derry and Strathfoyle and is within the Derry City Council area. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 270 people.- Industry :...

, County Londonderry

County Londonderry

The place name Derry is an anglicisation of the old Irish Daire meaning oak-grove or oak-wood. As with the city, its name is subject to the Derry/Londonderry name dispute, with the form Derry preferred by nationalists and Londonderry preferred by unionists...

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Features

Under the surface at the bottom of the lake there is ice age water. The Honourable The Irish Society

The Honourable The Irish Society

The Honourable The Irish Society is the organisation created by royal charter consisting of members nominated by livery companies of the City of London, set up to colonise County Londonderry during the plantation of Ulster. Notably it was involved in the construction of the city of Londonderry,...

 have leased the fishing rights to the local Strathfoyle Community Association as many local residents use the area for angling and walking. Enagh Lough is an outstanding area of natural beauty, with vivid wildlife including red squirrel

Red Squirrel

The red squirrel or Eurasian red squirrel is a species of tree squirrel in the genus Sciurus common throughout Eurasia...

s and Pipistrelle bats, both of which are fast becoming scarce in Northern Ireland. Also situated on the lough is Green Island, also known as Templetown Island or Enagh Crannog, which is accessible by wading.

History

Green Island was created by a clan from Dungiven. The Bishop of Derry once hid on the island in a tower as he was a wanted man by some. The island is recognised the Northern Ireland Environment Agency as a historical monument. All around the lough is hidden history, and just a short walk away is the Enagh Trout Fishery and old graveyard. Strathfoyle Youth Forum are currently working with local wildlife and environmental organisations such as the Ulster Wildlife Trust

Ulster Wildlife Trust

Ulster Wildlife Trust is a wildlife trust and a registered charity covering Northern Ireland. It was formed in 1978.The Trust manage a network of 20 reserves across Northern Ireland...

, in hope that the areas wildlife can be protected and walkways and fishing jetties created.

In May 1971, there was a huge Naval recovery operation to find the wreckage of the Fairey Barracuda

Fairey Barracuda

The Fairey Barracuda was a British carrier-borne torpedo- and dive bomber used during the Second World War, the first of its type used by the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm to be fabricated entirely from metal. It was introduced as a replacement for the Fairey Swordfish and Fairey Albacore biplanes...

 which had reportedly crashed into the lough during the War

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

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In popular culture

• Enagh Lough is the setting for a number of Derry's ghost stories including the man with a dog's head.
• Enagh was the site of a major excavations in the search for Celtic relics.
• The now defunct gaelic football team, Enagh GAC was named after the lough.
• Enagh once froze over so completely that people drove cars on the ice.

External links

• Enagh in Popular Culture