Lough Fahy
53.53251, -10.16187
https://www.google.com/maps/@53.5305793,-10.1650318,3a,75y,94.83h,94.44t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sqVLVnXxzcDezzJLZO-Nm1Q!2e0!7i13312!8i6656
Length 0.4 miles (620 m)Width 0.3 miles (457 m)
This freshwater lake is situated on Omey Island, a small uninhabited island off the coast of Galway which can be reached at low tide. It occupies 30% of the island and is a known habitat for otters. In 2003, Irish artist Sean Corcoran and his family had an encounter with an unusual animal whilst camping on the Island.
We were asleep in our tent when we heard a strange noise coming from the direction of the lake about 20 metres away. We listened for a while but curiosity got the better of us. I strapped on my little head torch and we crept out in the pitch black. Close to the shore I turned on the torch. What a shock! A vicious snarl right below us like a loud hiss followed immediately by a huge splash. We were both nearly knocked over with the fright but I tried my best to keep my head steady to see what it was. It swam the width of the lake from west to east in what seemed like a matter of seconds. It moved quietly but left a fairly big wake. When it got to the other side it clambered up onto a boulder at the water’s edge. It turned around, stood up on its hind legs (that appeared to be orange) and gave the most haunting screech. My wife's account of the incident give or take is the same as mine. Its body was dark, and I'd say it was about the size of a large Labrador, and about five foot tall when standing. It turned and disappeared into the darkness of the area that I call the Heart.
Corcoran went on to produce a sketch of the beast and this sighting has subsequently been linked with Irish creature the dobhar-chú.
Although the report does sounds very much like a surprise encounter with a very large otter, the family were adamant that the animal was nearly the size of a man when it reared up. In addition the orange coloured flippers are a unique feature for any indigenous mammal. The only animal that could be said to have something similar to this feature might be a juvenile walrus, which would also attain the sort of size described and in fact several walruses have been sighted around Connacht in recent years.
As a footnote to this episode, radio host Shane Dunphy spent a night at Omey Island in 2013 looking for its mystery inhabitant. He managed to record an eerie wailing sound. However despite the acoustics of the recording being slightly distorted and amplified, the authors found a strong similarity to the cries of a mink.
Fahy Lough animal (Bango Art)
Taken from our book
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