A disappearing Irish lake discovered

the irishdj--thank you for your first hand knowledge.I find this phenominon fascinating and as a writer myself, I appreciate your adding your personal notes. Fascinating.

I grew up in Rahara which is one of the parishes in which the Lough is located.I remember the 1955 event but more clearly a dissapearance in the early 60's when I took home "tons" of pike on my bicycle.On that occasion it took about a week to empty and anybody who tells you it emptied faster than that is "codding" you. If all the water in the Lough sudenly appeared in the Shannon I guarantee you Athlone and the surrounding are would be in major trouble. This is not a little lake a few feet deep,I'm sure it is at leat 12 feet deep in places and covers at least hundreds of acres in three parishes. It is big enough to show up on maps of Roscommon and may be 4 or 5 miles long. In 1988 when my son and I were on vacation from America the lake again dissapeared in about a week and we caught many pike in the water which was flowing into the ground on the Ardmeullen side. And we were there when for all intense and purpose the lake had finished being a lake and there were many fish left to die on the ground.Of course that last day is an event as it winds up as land but millions of gallons would have flowed out over days or even weeks before, and I believe water is always draining out on the Ardmullen side.In 1955 I thought the event took place later than November as I remember hearing my uncle Thomas who lived in Ardmullen being inerviewed on Radio Eireann. Maybe it started in November and dragged on into December but I doubt it disappeared overnight. I have been writing for the Roscommon Champion for 47 years was the voice of Ireland on radio in Long Island and the voice of Americaon Radio West in Mullingar.