Killarney Lakes Place Names

The map below contains marker pins of all of the local place names I know on Lough Leane (Lower Lake), Muckross Lake (Middle Lake), the Long Range and the Upper Lake in Killarney. I've gathered some over years from people and old OS maps, and some from memory of people now long gone.

Many of the names on this map reflect a deep, intimate knowledge of the Lakes of Killarney, passed down through generations of local boatmen and fishermen. These names tell a story. "The Chisel," "The Stakes," and "The Horse" are both landmarks and warnings to rocks and tricky channels. A boatman from the past would know exactly what to look out for by these names, remembering the advice of those who came before him. Places like "Jimmy and Nelly" and "Red Donal's Rock" give the lakes a personal history tied to the community. These are the names of a lake where positioning, livelihoods and safe leisure depended on knowing every rock and bay.

Alongside these practical names are others that capture the romantic spirit of a bygone era. Names like "The Gardens," "The Pailing," and "The Ballroom" were likely created to appeal to the tourists who began flocking to Killarney during the Victorian period. They transform the landscape, turning a simple small pair of rocks with trees into a picturesque garden.

The name "Napolean," for example is said to come from a mark on a rock on the Upper Lake where soldiers loyal Napolean visiting Killarney etched his name. It is now of course a practical marker for fishing and other boating. This blend of the practical and the nostalgic reflects a time when the lakes were a source of a backdrop for a flourishing tourism industry, where local knowledge and a sense of the mythical to create the Killarney we know today.

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Killarney Lakes Place Names Index