Lower Lough MacNean
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Lower Lough MacNean is a large, freshwater lake in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. The river is fed by a small river which flows from Upper Lough MacNean into the lake at a bridging point near the village of Belcoo. The lake then empties into the Arney River.
The lake contains two islands, Cushrush Island is the larger of these and it has been extensively farmed, there is also Inis or 'Jinny's' Island which is smaller and is completely forested. A causeway was built out to Cushrush Island in the 1960's to allow anmals to be moved more easily out to the land on the island.
Cushrush Island appears to have been inhabited since the Mesolithic period as there have been many deposits of microlithic flint tools found upon the Island.
The shape of Lough MacNean was changed dramatically during the 1960's when a major draining operation took place, the lake was used for Eel fishing before this but dredging during the drainage process decimated their numbers.
