xxiv INTRODUCTION. 
are only two other lakes in Kerry of any considerable area ; 
one is Lough Currane or Waterville Lake in the south-west, 
a large oval sheet of water measuring about two miles by three 
in its longest diameters ; the other is Caragh Lake about three 
or four miles south-west of Killorglin ; this although it rarely 
exceeds a half to three-quarters of a mile in breadth attains 
a length of nearly four miles north and south. Much smaller 
than these, but still worth mention, are Glanmore, the three 
Cloonee and Inchiquin Loughs in the extreme south, Derriana 
and Cloonaghlin north-east of Waterville, Coomasaharn and 
Coomaglaslaw in the Glenbeigh Mountains, Acoose and Cloon 
near the Reeks, Lough Yganavan north of Caragh, Lough 
Guitane south-east of Killarney and Lough Gill near Castle- 
gregory in the Dingle peninsula. 
The smaller lakes or mountain tarns include the most 
elevated sheets of water in Ireland. Some of the highest are, 
Cummeenoughter (the Devil’s Looking-glass) at 2,338 feet, and 
Cummeenapeasta at 2,153 in the Reeks, the Devil’s Punch 
Bowl, 2,206 feet on Mangerton, the Coumaknock Lakes on 
Brandon, a group of small tarns and pools ranging in height 
from about 2,000 to 2,300 feet, and Lough Acummeen at 
2,021 feet on Beenoskee near Castlegregory, while many others 
lie between the 1,000 and 2,000 feet levels. 
Rivers.—The deeply indented coast line, the position of the 
mountain groups and the direction of the watershed in this 
county all combine to prevent the formation of long river- 
courses, and it is therefore not surprising to find that none of 
the Kerry rivers exceeds 25 miles in length. 
The greatest volume of water is, no doubt, carried by the 
Laune which drains the Killamey Lakes, and after a course 
of about 12 miles falls into the sea at the head of Castlemaine 
Harbour. The chief feeder of these lakes is the Flesk which 
runs for about 20 miles from the boundary of County Cork to its 
entrance into Lough Leane, the Lower Lake, Killarney. Into 
Castlemaine Harbour, scarce a mile distant from the mouth 
of the Laune, flows another fairly important stream, the Maine, 
which drains the low-lying country west of Castleisland. Both 
these rivers are tidal and are artificially embanked for some 
miles from their mouths. The northern portion of the county 
is drained by the Feale, a river with a course of about 25 miles 
and forming the eastern county boundary for some 20 miles 
more. In the south, the chief rivers are the Roughty flowing 
into the head of Kenmare Bay, and the Inny into Ballinskelligs 
Bay. In the west is the Caragh river draining the lake of the 
same name and the extensive Glencar valley. Besides those 
