Lough Gill (; ) is a freshwater lake in the southwest of Ireland. It is located on the
Dingle Peninsula
The Dingle Peninsula ( ga, Corca Dhuibhne; anglicised as Corkaguiny, the name of the corresponding barony) is the northernmost of the major peninsulas in County Kerry. It ends beyond the town of Dingle at Dunmore Head, the westernmost point ...
Lough Gill measures about long and wide. It is about west of
Tralee
Tralee ( ; ga, Trá Lí, ; formerly , meaning 'strand of the Lee River') is the county town of County Kerry in the south-west of Ireland. The town is on the northern side of the neck of the Dingle Peninsula, and is the largest town in Count ...
, near the village of
Castlegregory
Castlegregory (, meaning "Griaire's Castle") is a village in County Kerry, Ireland. It is situated on the north side of the Dingle Peninsula, halfway between Tralee and Dingle. As of the 2016 Census, Castlegregory had a population of 250.
Castl ...
.
Hydrology
Lough Gill is considered a natural
lagoon
A lagoon is a shallow body of water separated from a larger body of water by a narrow landform, such as reefs, barrier islands, barrier peninsulas, or isthmuses. Lagoons are commonly divided into ''coastal lagoons'' (or ''barrier lagoons'') ...
, draining into
Tralee Bay
Tralee Bay ( gle, Loch Foirdhreamhain / Cuan Thrá Lí) is located in on the west coast of County Kerry, Ireland. It is situated between Kerry Head on the north side and the Maharees on the west and extends eastwards as far as the bridge at ...
. It is fed by the Killiney River and another unnamed stream. The lake is shallow, with depths of less than .
Natural history
Fish species in Lough Gill include
three-spined stickleback
The three-spined stickleback (''Gasterosteus aculeatus'') is a fish native to most inland and coastal waters north of 30°N. It has long been a subject of scientific study for many reasons. It shows great morphological variation throughout its ra ...
Special Area of Conservation
A Special Area of Conservation (SAC) is defined in the European Union's Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC), also known as the ''Directive on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora''. They are to protect the 220 habitats and a ...
{{Reflist, refs =
{{Google maps , url = https://www.google.com/maps/place/Lough+Gill,+Co.+Kerry,+Ireland/@52.2600919,-10.0544746,15z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x4845535b6bf36127:0x518f4ef03f04eab5?hl=en , title = Lough Gill , access-date = 29 December 2015{{cite web , url = http://www.epa.ie/pubs/reports/research/water/Final%20Report%20(2000-FS1-M1).pdf , title = A Reference Based Typology and Ecological Assessment System for Irish Lakes , date = 2006 , pages = 17 , publisher =
Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland)
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is responsible for protecting and improving the environment as a valuable asset for the people of Ireland. It operates independently under the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications.
H ...
, access-date = 29 December 2015 , archive-date = 13 April 2021 , archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210413134701/http://www.epa.ie/pubs/reports/research/water/Final%20Report%20(2000-FS1-M1).pdf , url-status = live {{cite web , url = http://wfdfish.ie/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/LoughGilll_lagoon_report_20131.pdf , title = Sampling Fish for the Water Framework Directive : Lough Gill , publisher = Inland Fisheries Ireland , date = 2013 , access-date = 29 December 2015 , archive-date = 4 March 2016 , archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160304045457/http://wfdfish.ie/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/LoughGilll_lagoon_report_20131.pdf , url-status = live {{cite web , url = https://www.logainm.ie/en/101297 , title = Loch Gile/Lough Gill , website =
Placenames Database of Ireland
The Placenames Database of Ireland ( ga, Bunachar Logainmneacha na hÉireann), also known as , is a database and archive of place names in Ireland. It was created by Fiontar, Dublin City University in collaboration with the Placenames Branch of ...
(logainm.ie) , access-date = 12 October 2022{{cite web , url = http://www.npws.ie/sites/default/files/protected-sites/synopsis/SY002070.pdf , title = Tralee Bay and Magharees Peninsula, West to Cloghane SAC , publisher =
National Parks and Wildlife Service (Ireland)
The National Parks and Wildlife Service () manages the Irish State's nature conservation responsibilities. As well as managing the national parks, the activities of the NPWS include the designation and protection of Natural Heritage Areas, Special ...
, access-date = 29 December 2015 , archive-date = 24 October 2017 , archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171024113132/https://www.npws.ie/sites/default/files/protected-sites/synopsis/SY002070.pdf , url-status = live
Gill
A gill () is a respiratory organ that many aquatic organisms use to extract dissolved oxygen from water and to excrete carbon dioxide. The gills of some species, such as hermit crabs, have adapted to allow respiration on land provided they are ...