Lough Mask
| Lough Mask Loch Measca | |
|---|---|
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| Location | County Mayo |
| Coordinates | 53°37′N 9°21′W / 53.617°N 9.350°WCoordinates: 53°37′N 9°21′W / 53.617°N 9.350°W |
| Lake type | Limestone lake |
| Basin countries | Ireland |
| Max. length | 16.1 km (10.0 mi) |
| Max. width | 6.4 km (4.0 mi) |
| Surface area | 83 km2 (32 sq mi) |
| Average depth | 5 m (16 ft) |
| Max. depth | 57 m (187 ft) |
Lough Mask (Irish: Loch Measca) is a limestone lough (lake) of 20,500 acres (83 km²) in County Mayo, Ireland, north of Lough Corrib. Lough Mask is the upper of the two lakes, which empty into the Corrib River, through Galway, into Galway Bay. The lake is popular for its trout fishing. Lough Mask feeds into Lough Corrib through an underground stream.
In 1338 Sir Edmond de Burgh was drowned in the lake by his cousin Sir Edmond Albanach Bourke of County Mayo, at the end of the Burke Civil War 1333–38.
The lough was the scene of the 1882 "Lough Mask murders", when two bailiffs working for Lord Ardilaun were killed, described as "an old man and a lad".[1] Tensions had arisen in the area during the Land War and the proximity of land managed by Charles Boycott. The corpses were found in the lough itself. The controversial lack of credible witnesses led to four well-publicised trials of the accused in 1882-83.
See also
- List of loughs in Ireland