LOUGH-NEAGH, a loch or lake of Ireland, situated in the counties of Armagh, Down, Derry, and Antrim, and province of Ulster. This lake is 20 miles
in length, and varies from 8 to 12 miles in breadth. The area of this lake is computed to be 100,000 acres. It is remarkable for a healing virtue; and likewise for petrifying wood, which is not only found in the water but in the adjacent soil at a considerable depth. On its shores several beautiful gems have been discovered. Its ancient name was Loch-Eacha, or Loch-Neach, from loch, "a lake," and Neach, "wonderful, divine, or eminent." Its petrifying powers are not instantaneous, as several of the ancients have supposed, but require a long series of ages to bring them to perfection, and appear to be occasioned by a fine mud or sand, which insinuates itself into the pores of the wood, and which in process of time becomes hard like stone. On the borders of this lake is Shane's castle, the elegant seat of Lord O'Neil. Dr Smyth seems to doubt whether the healing quality in this lake is not to be confined to one side of it, called the fishing-bank; and he informs us, that this virtue was discovered in the reign of Charles II. in the instance of the son of one Mr Cunningham, who had an evil which ran on him in eight or ten places; and notwithstanding all applications, seemed incurable: at length he was perfectly healed, after bathing in this lough about eight days. Hence that writer gives us another derivation of the name Loch-Neach, which (he says) seems to him to hint at this quality; Neach or Neas, in Irish, signifying "a sore or ulcer," which might not improbably be corrupted into Neach: Hence he apprehends, this lake was remarked at a much earlier period for its healing property. As to its petrifying power, it is mentioned by Nennius, a writer of the 9th century, who says, "Est aliud stagnum quod facit ligna dorescere in lapides. Homines autem findunt ligna, et postquam formaverunt, proiciunt in stagnum, et manent in eo usque ad caput anni, et in capite anni lapis invenitur; et vocatur stagnum Luch-Echach." Lough-Neach gives title of baron to the family of Skeffington.