Historical Aspect of Clare Lake Man -made Features. Clare Lake - Recreational Amenity. Crannogs
Once Upon a time it was a no go area for nature lovers whether human or piscine - now it is a parkland and lakeland idyll and one of the town's showpieces.
Twenty years ago Clare Lake was dying or dead. The water itself
was a red soup, noxious with the effluent of the adjacent bacon
factory; it didn't help that the creamery was across the road
and that the lake's bank had long been the town dump.
The factory closed in the mid-eighties, an economic bodyblow and uppercut. But there were compensations (besides those accruing to local pigs) - one was that the lake began to loose its nasty flush.
Also about this time the creamery moved its operation elsewhere (the dump had closed in the sixties). Then following a Foroige Environmental Project in 1988, the prospect of real ecological renewal dawned on certain optimists of the development committee; their bold vision was of a municipal park on the erstwhile wasteland.
Scientists were invoked and took esoteric samples - and predicted it would take 20 years for the slow moving lake to purge itself!
As befits optimists, the committee were undaunted; they decided to proceed with the scheme. The rest is a minor miracle. With the help of European monies and local volunteers, the whole area, including the former dump, was cleaned up and landscaped and waterscaped.
Thousands of trees were set; grass was sown; fish returned; timber piers for anglers were installed; ducks were introduced.
And so now, five minutes walk from the town square you have a 9 acre sylvan and riparian oasis.
Clare Lake was once under the ownership of the Lord Oranmore and Browne of Castle Mac Garrett on land of 15,000 acres.
Lord Browne as he was once known got his title from the part of Galway - Oranmore where his family originated. They had no less than 13 country houses throughout Connaught, including Ashford Castle at Cong Co. Mayo and their holding spread over 54,000 acres of which 24,000 were in tillage. The Browne were one of the three greatest families of the west.
It was Geoffrey Browne who came into Castle Mac Garrett on his marriage to Mary the daughter of David Prendergast the former owner of the property. The property consisted of about 2,000 acres of land. The majority of the land was not too fertile containing rush and marshy land. Cattle, sheep and poultry were kept on the land. Fruit and vegetables were also grown.
The land was also used for hunting by family and friends. Pheasants were raised in numbers such as 1,200 for the November and January " Shoots". Deer and other animals were also hunted. Remains of antlers have been found by FAS when they were building walks along side of Clare Lake.
The lake once marked the boundary of the former estate owned by Lord Oranmore and Browne on the Claremorris town side.
The train station was named Southern Yard. It was used for watering trains and leaving unwanted wagons there for days. The railway station is now only used for commercial reasons. McMahon Park and adjoining Clare Lake were owned by Ger McMahon, a Physics Professor in Trinity College, Dublin. Ger is the son of the late Tom McMahon but he gave the lake over to be developed by F.A.S. There also used to be a pump house which pumped Claremorris sewerage through treatment plants beside Noreen Keanes and Reedy's house in Brookhill Road.
Beside Clare Lake is the site of an old dump which has not been used since the 1960s. The dump was shut down and relocated, however this dump was also forced to close after it was discovered that it did not have planning permission. The old dump was abandoned for years , and eventually was given to the County Council to develop as a park, but now in the growing town of Claremorris there is new use for this site.
Claremorris was selected as the area to have a large new sewerage scheme. This old dump was the perfect area because it is the lowest point in town so the sewerage will flow into it. The proposed scheme consists of two tanks 50ft by 50ft. One tank will be underground and since the dump is so old the rubbish is presumed to be rotted. The other tank will be sticking up into the air and will be inside a house-like structure so as not to be an eyesore in this beautiful lake and park area. The tank on top is there in case the bottom tank overflows although we are told this is very unlikely.
The sewerage will be pumped to the top of a nearby hill, Brook Hill and from there to Crossboyne which is a nearby village. At Crossboyne there will be a water treatment and settlement plant. There the water will be purified and it will then enter the river Robe. The water at this stage will be completely pure . The engineers of this great scheme are so sure of this they say they would drink the water as it enters the river. We must wait until construction is finished to determine whether this is true. This scheme will be heavily funded by the E.U. They will receive £4.5 million .
Clare Lake and Mayfield Lough are connected to each other. They lie approximately 200m apart. They are connected by a small stream which is partly covered by the Brookhill road and Lower James Street.
The old railway to Ballinrobe also crosses the link of the lakes. However this railway is no longer in use and most of it has been taken away except a small piece after the junction which is used to store train carriages.
Some buildings surrounding the lakes would be the "Great Southern Yard" where there were railway stores and on the south side of Mayfield Lough new housing estates have recently been built.
The lakes are of similar size as the surface of water of Mayfield Lough is 196.7 and Clare Lake is 196.1. Also both lakes feature some archaeological sites, the best known would be the Crannog at Clare Lake.
Clare Lake is by far the better known of the two lakes, especially for fishing even though the same fish would be found in Mayfield Lough as well. Some species of fish would include Perch, Pike and Bream.
The lakes hold a historical factor as the meeting point of the two lakes is believed to be connected with the naming of the town "Claremorris". The "Clare" is said to be derived from the fact that long ago a bridge crossed over the stream connecting the two lakes. This bridge was called a "clar" and tolls were charged to cross over it. "Morris" came from "Clan Morris" who were the landlords or prominent family in the town at the time.
The stream coming from Clare Lake flows into the River Robe on the outskirts of the town. This river in turn flows into Lough Carra which then brings the water to Lough Mask from where Claremorris gets its main water supply. Before this water is fit for consumption it must be treated at the Lough Mask treatment plant. This involves the following stages:
1. Settling
2. Filtration
3. Chlorination
4. Fluorination
The treated water then leaves the plant and is pumped with the help of several booster pumps into the Claremorris reservoir at Caltra Hill where the water is stored. This water is then distributed to the business and residential houses in the town.
Another geographical aspect of Clare Lake is the streams which are connected to it. These are used mainly for drainage purposes. However, they have been the cause of flooding when they become severely blocked. An example would be that the pipes which are under the lakes were not laid properly and now silt has settled on them causing a blockage which causes the stream to flood the nearby local golflinks.
Industry has caused the lake problems over the years especially the Bacon Factory, but a more recent one would be that the construction of a nearby car park at a garage failed. The foundation collapsed on what must have been bad land and caused a blockage to one of the lake entrances. This has now become an eyesore which takes away from the beauty of the lake itself.
This lake is surrounded
by a deciduous and coniferous forest. Both tourists and locals
alike can enjoy strolling through the forest, along the grass
trail with access to the lake by the Rustic Bridge and Stone Arch
Bridge. These features are situated to the east of the lake and
are connected to each other by a man-made path. People also come
to relax in the two Gazebo's which are a canopy type feature.
During the summer many visitors come for family picnics. From
these Gazebo's there is a wonderful view of the lake. A great
activity at the lake is fishing and it's made very enjoyable by
the four fishing stands that surround the east side of the lake.
Wildlife is at it's best at Clare Lake and the wildlife viewing
tower to the south of the lake makes it all the more interesting.
This tower protrudes out onto the lake so giving a wonderful view
of the lake inhabitants. The oldest feature of the lake is it's
Crannog from Celtic times and can be seen through dry periods.
The land directly east of the lake is owned by Griffith's garage. Recently they have cleared a site, which was intended for a car park. Upon clearing the area a landslide occurred. This was due to the fact that this area is pure bog until you reach 60 feet underground. The car park area was slanted and also caused part of the entrance to the lake to sink and presently it is nearly impossible to enter the lake area. The road way , which goes half way around the lake had to go through a number of stages to become safe. Firstly a large number of timber poles were secured vertically and horizontally into the ground, three feet of broken stones then covered the poles. Lastly gravel was placed on the surface. The soil in the car park had not been treated to this extent and so soil movement occured. It has been a hazard for Griffith's Garage but developments are now going ahead.
Circular road.
Currently there is a gravel path boarded by a " Road and Stone Wall" circling half of the lake. This path is surrounded by the tree plantation, shrubbery and wild flowers that adorn the lake area. The gardening work and other labour intensive jobs are carried out by the Fas Scheme. Recently there has been plans drawn up to continue this pathway to achieve a 360 degrees circular path around the lake. The plans would start by crossing the bridge at the south end of the lake. As this path would be continued, there would be need to plant more trees and build more facilities similar to those on the other side. This plan will cover a two and a half year span. It will be 60% funded by the E.U. causing the lake committee to subsidise the remainder. The plan will be costly at £20 per metre but the committee has received 7-8 acres from the County Council.
There has been a noticeable increase in tourism since the lake has been developed in the past number of years. The I.R.D. in Claremorris has stated that during the Summer between 50-60 people visit the lake daily. It's not just though but the people of the town have also started to visit the lake. With its relaxing atmosphere and peaceful surroundings it's an ideal place for a pleasant evening walk. Many people go there for the fishing and others to watch the magnificent birds from the well situated viewing tower. The abstract sculptors add to its uniqueness and enhance its wonder.
Swimming: Swimming is prohibited in Clare
Lake as the water is unhygienic and hazardous.Also there are swallow
holes in the lake and nobody is quite sure of its depth.
However swimming is not overruled in the future.
Walking: Walking is a marvellous activity at the lake because of it's breathtaking scenery.Many tourists and locals alike enjoy this and are seen strolling at a leisurely pace absorbing the beauty of the lake and surroundings.
Fishing: Fishing is the most popular recreational activity at the lake. There are four piers located around the lake to accommodate fishing enthusiasts. They are made of a plastic base 6' by 6' so they won't rot. The main types of fish life in the lake are bream, perch, pike and eel. Pike are most commonly fished in the area.
Boating: Boating is not common in the lake but some do enjoy it .
Other Water Sports: These haven't become popular yet, but they are another aspect of the future.
Nature Walking: The lake is bursting with insects and birds and sometimes there are a family of ducks to be seen. Also if you are fortunate you will see the grace and elegance of the swans. There is a nature-viewing tower situated beside the lake where tourists and nature lovers are often found.
During the iron-age, a fierce warrior tribe known as the Celts
came to Ireland. Because the Celts had a love for fighting and
were often involved in wars, they needed to protect themselves.
In times of trouble the celts lived in Crannogs.
Crannogs were islands built in the middle of lakes. The Crannogs
gave the Celts protection against their enemies because the Crannogs
were surrounded by water.
Crannogs were man-made islands and took a great deal of work
and time to make.
Firstly, tree trunks were dropped down into the water. Then stones
were placed on top of these tree trunks until they came up above
the water level. A thick layer of clay was then put above the
stones. The island was thus made. A wooden fence is then built
around the island. Inside the fence the Celts built their wooden
houses in which they lived. These island houses were cold, damp
and dirty, as the animals also sheltered here in times of danger.
The ruins of many Crannogs have been found all around Ireland.
Some of these can be found at Ballinderry, Co.Westmeath and Lagore,
Co.Meath. You can also visit the man-made Crannog at Cragaunowen
Co.Clare.
In Claremorris, the man-made Crannog in Clare lake, can only be
seen in good, dry weather, as it's usually totally covered over
in water due to our wet rainy weather.
