Which lough is the largest lake within the Republic of Ireland?

Lough Corrib is the largest lake within the Republic of Ireland.

The lough lies mainly in County Galway, with a small portion extending into County Mayo. It covers about 176 square kilometres and is connected to Galway Bay by the River Corrib, also called the Galway River. That outlet reaches the sea at Galway city.

Lough Corrib has a distinctive two-part shape: a shallower southern basin and a larger, deeper northern basin linked by a narrow channel. Its maximum depth is about 51 metres. A medieval canal cut known as the Friar’s Cut helped boats travel between the lough and the sea, making it part of Ireland’s long inland-waterway history.

The common trap is the island-wide comparison. Lough Neagh, in Northern Ireland, is larger than Lough Corrib, so Corrib is second-largest on the island of Ireland. But within the Republic of Ireland, Corrib is the clear answer. The lough was designated a Ramsar wetland site in 1996 and is also a Special Area of Conservation.