Lough Gill is a freshwater lough

Lough

A lough is a body of water and is either:* A lake* A sea lough, which may be a fjord, estuary, bay, or sea inlet.It can also be used as a surname, with various pronunciations: law, loch, low, lowe, loth, loff....

 (lake

Lake

A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...

) mainly situated in County Sligo, but partly in County Leitrim

County Leitrim

County Leitrim is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the village of Leitrim. Leitrim County Council is the local authority for the county...

, in Ireland

Republic of Ireland

Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...

. It is about 8 km or 5 miles long and 2 km or 1 mile wide, and drains into the River Garavogue

River Garavogue

The Garavogue is a short and small river located in County Sligo, Ireland. From Lough Gill, it winds its way through Sligo town and into Sligo Bay. The name, Garavogue, comes from the Irish "garbh óg" meaning "young rough"....

 near Sligo Town. The picturesque lake is surrounded by wooded hills and is popular with birdwatchers

Birdwatching

Birdwatching or birding is the observation of birds as a recreational activity. It can be done with the naked eye, through a visual enhancement device like binoculars and telescopes, or by listening for bird sounds. Birding often involves a significant auditory component, as many bird species are...

, and is overlooked by Parke's Castle

Parke's Castle

Rising three storeys tall, in an idyllic setting on the banks of Lough Gill, in County Leitrim in Ireland, Parke’s Castle is a plantation era castle. In 1610 Roger Parke completed his fortified manor house on the site of an earlier fifteenth-century O'Rourke castle...

. The present castle was built in the 17th century by Captain Robert Parke on the site of the former stronghold of the Uí Ruairc

Kingdom of Breifne

The Kingdom of Breifne or Bréifne was the traditional territory for an early Irish tribal group known as the Uí Briúin Bréifne...

 clann

Irish clans

Irish clans are traditional kinship groups sharing a common surname and heritage and existing in a lineage based society prior to the 17th century.-History:...

. The Uí Ruairc clan ruled the area from about the 7th century to around 952, up to the time of Oliver Cromwell

Oliver Cromwell

Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....

. The lake contains about 20 small islands, including the famous Isle of Innisfree

Lake Isle of Innisfree

thumb|right|Photograph of William Butler Yeats taken in 1920The "Lake Isle of Innisfree" is a poem written by William Butler Yeats in 1888. The poem was published first in the National Observer in 1890 and reprinted in The Countess Kathleen and Various Legends and Lyrics in 1892...

.