Posted by murrisk on November 29, 2000 at 06:22:29:
In Reply to: Re: Black Fort posted by JDP on November 28, 2000 at 16:33:33:
Up until at least the 1870's the five Boyd's Islands are shown as islands.
The group consisted of two large islands(3 acres, 1 rood and 10 perches and
2 roods and 29 perches respectively) and three small rocky outcrops/rock piles.
The islands were close to the Westport Road side of the lake. When the lake
level was lowered the islands became part of the Westport Road shoreline, however,
the low lying ground was liable to flood. In the 1950's and 1960's, when you
looked towards the Reek from the diving board you could see an island more or
less opposite the Point. In my circles this was called McDonald's island possibly
because Mike McDonald of Mount Gordon owned the land(?) It was a great place to pick
smeara dubha. As the lake level was lowered still further in the 1970'/1980's, and
as the lake was developed, this island grew and today you can walk onto the island
from the pathway along the Westport Road side of the lake. The flow of water is
restricted to a rather narrow channel next to the Point.
Lough Lea is shown on maps up until at least the 1870's. It was a skinny lake about
1500 feet long. After it was drained, or at least after it no longer shows as
Lough Lea, the location shows as an area liable to floods. This may well be Locha(fada)n.
The original Lough Lea lay along the townland boundary between Snugborough and Garryduff,
one field to the north of the Newport Road. Its northeastern limit would have been a
little past the Pound Road/Newport Road junction. Its southwestern limit would, I think,
have been behind Paddy Howards. The site should be easy to identify if it has not been
developed - townland boundaries are typically marked by a prominent fence or ditch (dike?.
Great to hear that ice hockey was played on the Locha(fada)n. North American ice hockey
I have read, is believed to have originated in eastern Canada from hurling, or a modification
thereof, played on ice. It looks like I was unknowingly close to a parallel development of
the game in Ireland!!