a loch or lake of Ireland, situated in the counties of Armagh, Down, Derry, and Antrim, and province of Ulster. It is the largest in Europe, those of Ladoga and Onega in Russia, and that of Geneva in Switzerland, excepted; being 20 miles long and 15 broad. 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-eaeha 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 infuses 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 the right honourable John 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 infancy of the son of one Mr Cunningham, who had an evil which run 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 Lochneach, which (he says) seems to hint at this quality; Neagh or Nemo, in Irish, signifying a fore or ulcer, which might not improbably be corrupted into Neagh. 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 Nenius, a writer of the 9th century, who says, "Eft alhid itagnum quod facit ligna durere in lapides. Homines autem sindunt ligna, et poft poft formaverunt, proiectum in stagnum, et invenit in eo ufeque ad caput anni, et in capitie anni lapis invenitur, et vocatur stagnum Luch-Ebach." Lough-Neach gives title of baron to the family of Skeffington.