Lough Tay
{{Distinguish|Loch Tay}}
{{short description|Lake in Wicklow, Ireland}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}}
{{Use Irish English|date=November 2020}}
{{Infobox body of water
| native_name ={{native name|ga|Loch Té}}
| other_name = The Guinness Lake, Luggala Lake
| image = Luggala and Lough Tay, Wicklow, Ireland.jpg
| caption = Lough Tay with the east-facing granite cliffs of Luggala overlooking behind
| image_bathymetry =
| caption_bathymetry =
| location = Wicklow Mountains, County Wicklow
| coords = {{coord|53.106014|N|6.266763|W|type:landmark_region:IE|display=title,inline}}
| type =
| inflow = Cloghoge River
| outflow = Cloghoge River
| catchment =
| basin_countries = Ireland
| elevation = {{Convert|246|m|abbr=on}}
| length =
| width =
| pushpin_map = Ireland
| area = {{Convert|48.1|ha|abbr=on}}
| depth = {{Convert|10.1|m|abbr=on}}
| max-depth = {{Convert|35|m|abbr=on}}
| volume = {{Convert|5|GL|acre-foot}}
| residence_time =
| shore =
| islands = none
| sections =
| cities =
| frozen =
}}
Lough Tay (Irish: Loch Té), is a small but scenic lake set on private property in the Wicklow Mountains in Ireland. The lake lies between the mountains of Djouce {{convert|725|m|ft}}, and Luggala {{convert|595|m|ft}}, and is dominated by Luggala's east-facing granite cliffs. The lough is fed by the Cloghoge River, which then drains into Lough Dan to the south. The entire of Lough Tay belongs to the Guinness Estate at Luggala, and has limited public access.{{cite web|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/state-urged-to-buy-4-000-acres-of-luggala-estate-for-public-use-1.3591407|title=State urged to buy 4,000 acres of Luggala estate for public use|newspaper=Irish Times|author=Lorna Siggins|date=10 August 2018|accessdate=12 July 2019}}
Naming
The name is believed to derive from the Proto-Indo-European root *teh₂-, "melt", "dissolve", "flow," also seen in Scotland's River Tay, River Teviot, Water of Tanar, or to teith, "warm."{{Cite web|url=https://www.logainm.ie/en/1166411|title=Loch Té/Luggala Lake|website=logainm.ie}} Some sources connect the name to tea, but the name was recorded as far back as the 1650s Down Survey as "Logh Tea," when tea was unknown in Ireland.{{Cite web|url=https://www.waterfordtreasures.com/tea-the-origins-of-our-national-drink/|title=Tea: The Origins of Our National Drink | Waterford Treasures|date=17 March 2023}} The nickname, 'The Guinness Lake' name comes from the former owners of the land. The lake is part of the former Guinness estate, owned by Arthur Guinness.{{cite web|url=https://mytouristmaps.com/lough-tay-ireland/ |title=Lough Tay, Ireland|publisher=mytouristmaps.com }} Another claimed reason for it to be called the "Guinness Lake" is that the Guinness family imported white sand and laid it over a beach on the northern shore of the lake to make it look like a pint of Guinness.{{cite web | url = https://visitwicklow.ie/item/lough-tay-guinness-lake/# | title = Lough tay - The Guinness Lake | accessdate = 30 March 2020 | publisher = Visit Wicklow}}
Scenic viewpoint
The view into Lough Tay (with the cliffs of Luggala behind) is a popular scenic viewpoint in Wicklow and is easily viewed from one of the several car-parks along the R759 road (e.g. Ballinastoe Wood, and the J.B. Malone car-parks). A short hike up the first boardwalked section of the path to the summit of Djouce mountain, to the J.B. Malone memorial stone (part of the 131-kilometre Wicklow Way trail), is another popular scenic viewpoint of the lough.{{cite book | last1 = Dillion | first1 = Paddy | title = The Mountains of Ireland: A Guide to Walking the Summits | publisher = Cicerone | isbn = 978-1852841102 | year = 1993 |quote=Walk 1:White Hill, Djouce Mountain, War Hill}}{{cite book | last1 = Fairbairn | first1 = Helen | title = Dublin & Wicklow: A Walking Guide | publisher = Collins Press | isbn = 978-1848892019 | year = 2014}}
Culture
=Bertrand Russell=
The philosopher Bertrand Russell said that when he was young he twice visited Ireland with his Aunt Agatha he visited Lough Tay. He visited on his own and with Michael Davitt and he said that the beautiful scenery made a profound impression on him and highlighted the small lake at Luggala. He returned half a century later with his friend Crompton Davies and they revisited Luggala but they looked over it from a wood set above the lake rather than the pebbly shore Russell remembered. This experience convinced Russell that one should not try and renew old memories.{{cite book|last=Russell|first=Bertrand|title=Autobiography|year=1951|pages=35}}{{cite web |url = https://coastmonkey.ie/lough-tay-wicklow-guinness-lake/ | title = Lough Tay – A jewel in Wicklow's crown | accessdate = 30 March 2020 | work = Coast Monkey | author = Daniel Farrell | publisher = Coast Monkey}}
=Guinness Estate=
On the shore of Lough Tay is an ornamental building known as the Temple. Next to it are three graves of members of the Guinness family. One of those buried there is Tara Browne, whose death in a car accident was an inspiration for the Beatles song "A Day in the Life"; the two others are his unnamed infant brother, who was born and died in December 1943, and his half-sister.{{Citation needed|date = April 2024}}
=''Vikings'' (TV series)=
Lough Tay is the setting for the fictional village of Kattegat in the 2013 television historical drama series Vikings.{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/ireland/articles/vikings-filming-locations/|title=The Irish lough masquerading as a Scandinavian fjord|author=Penny Walker | date=29 November 2019 | accessdate=12 July 2019 | newspaper=Daily Telegraph}}{{cite web|url=https://www.express.co.uk/showbiz/tv-radio/909264/Vikings-season-5-location-Where-is-Vikings-filmed-History|title=Vikings season 5 location: Where is Vikings filmed? Where is it set?|date=24 January 2018|newspaper=Daily Express|author=Neela Debnath|quote=Previous filming locations for Vikings include Lough Tay - which is also known as the Guinness Lake due to being owned by the famous family - stands in for Kattegat Village, which is home to Ragnar Lothbrok (played by Travis Fimmel) and his family.|accessdate=12 July 2019}}
=Film usage=
Lough Tay, the Guinness Estate at Luggala and its owner Garech Browne feature in the 1991 film I Dreamt I Woke Up by John Boorman ([https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqSeb787No4 online]). Lough Tay features prominently in such movies as Zardoz (1974) and Excalibur (1981), by John Boorman.{{cite news| url=https://www.independent.ie/regionals/braypeople/news/chasing-wicklows-vibrant-filming-trail-35026820.html|title=Chasing Wicklow's vibrant filming trail|date=10 September 2016|publisher=independent.ie|accessdate=28 November 2020}} It also appears in the 2024 Netflix film Irish Wish.
Gallery
File:J B Malone Memorial.jpg|J.B. Malone memorial stone on Djouce.
File:Kattegat, Vikings TV series, Wicklow.jpg|Set of Kattegat on television series, Vikings.
File:Looking towards Lough Tay from the road. - geograph.org.uk - 19564.jpg|View into Luggala Castle.
File:Guinness Estate Luggala Ireland.jpg|Lough Tay, Luggala, and Luggala Castle.
File:Looking into the valley into Lough Dan and Lough Tay.jpg|Cloghoge River between Lough Tay and Lough Dan
File:Lough Tay, County Wicklow, Ireland.jpg|Luggala Estate
See also
{{commons category|Lough Tay}}