County Galway
Lough Dubh
(or Black's Lake)
A Most Remarkable Incident
The Lough Dubh incident of 1962 is comparatively the most unique and perplexing of recorded sightings in Ireland. Whereas in most accounts involve an observer viewing an object from a distance, in this case the proximity between witnesses and animal was almost too close. Yet despite the prime viewing conditions, the creature described is seemingly unlike anything reported so far.
For a more detailed map displaying the actual lake go here. :
Black's LakeFor the sake of clarity: yes, there are quite a few Lough Dubhs throughout Ireland. Considering that the word dubh (pronounced 'doove') means black in Irish, it should come as little surprise. The Lough Dubh in this case is more commonly known today as Black's Lake. This small lough lies along a chain of lakes between the town of Glinsk and Roscommon in the north-eastern part of County Galway and not to be confused with the Glinsk near Carna (which is a long ways to bike from Clifden -trust me.)
Previous Sightings in Black's LakeBlack's Lake had sightings of strange animals prior to the main headliner of 1962, however none appeared to offer much in the line of details.
G. S. Lane was a fishing correspondent for the Irish Press who had been trying his luck casting above the Dunamon Bridge on the River Suck when he was warned by an old man to avoid Lough Dubh for "queer things had been seen from time to time in the past."
In 1956 three men working along the River Suck observed some sort of strange, large animal swimming in the lake.
In 1960 Con Mahon described over the radio seeing three animals, one large one and two smaller sized ones, swimming in Lough Dubh.Mullaney's Testimony
It was in March of 1962 that father and son (both named Alphonsus Mullaney) were on shore fishing when the tranquility was instantly shattered by a beastly surprise. In an interview with a reporter from the Sunday Review Mr. Mullaney gave his account:
We were working the bog after school and I had promised to take young Alphonsus fishing. We carried a twelve foot rod with a strong line and spoon bait for perch or pike, of which there are plenty in Lough Dubh.
For a while I let the boy fish with the long rod and used a shorter rod with worm bait. I got no "answer" After five minutes I decided that the fish were not there that evening, but took the long rod and walked up and down the bank.
Suddenly there was a tugging on the line. I thought it might be caught on a root, so I took it gently. It did not give. I hauled it slowly ashore, and the line snapped. I was examining the line when the lad screamed.
Then I saw the animal. It was not a seal or anything I had ever seen. It had for instance short thick legs, and a hippo face. It was big as a cow or an ass, square faced, with small ears and a white pointed horn on its snout. It was dark grey in colour, and covered with bristles or short hair, like a pig.
Illustration from Lake Monsters of Ireland ©Orbis Publishing
In an exchange of letters with Peter Costello, Alphonsus Sr. explained that he thought the creature had taken the bait and out of rage mounted the bank to attack the boy. Costello writes the beast was "angered by the pain and the barking of a spaniel," -but I'm curious if he didn't misunderstand Mullaney, who may have meant it was barking like a spaniel (to understand the signifcance of this, see Tarbh'Usiage). After the two had fled, armed locals where sent to watch the lake incase the creature were to take to land. Unfortunately, it had either retreated from the water or returned to the bottom as no trace of the creature was found.
National Museum: BAFFLED!The Sunday Review quoted the "expert opinion" of the National Museum who acknowledged that the lake was too far inland for seals and that the description baffled them. According to Costello the museum pointed out that recently non-native marine animals were being discovered off the shores of Ireland and Scotland, possibly indicating climactic alternations within the Atlantic.
The statement actually sounds refreshing compared to the usual tendency by officials around that time to immediately de-bunk anything out of the ordinary. It also seems odd that the National Museum would first point out that the lough is too far away from the ocean for a seal, yet at the same time suggest that the creature did come from the sea. Was the National Museum actually speculating that Lough Dubh could have been harboring an unknown animal at the time?
COSTELLO, Peter In Search Of Lake Monsters (p.150) [Berkley Medallion Books 1974]
Making Sense of Black's Beast
A Wandering Walrus?
Fellow researcher Gary Cunningham theorizes that Black's Beast may have been a displaced walrus. Much like their smaller pinniped relation the seal, these brutes have been documented entering freshwater rivers to a considerable distance. In 1981 one such south-bound visitor managed to ford 15 miles inland after entering a river near Norfolk, England. Walrus visitations to Ireland (and the U.K. for that matter) are exceptionally rare but are not unknown. It goes without saying that the abstract presence of such an immense animal could easily be labeled as a monster by the unsuspecting.
Walruses lack tusks until their second year.
From a morphological standpoint the walrus falls short of passing for the type of creature reported by Mullaney. Granted, given the fright and excitement generated during the heat of the moment, the mind can conjure up some misleading imagery but some details are hard to refute. Also, how does one would justify the absence of those trademark tusks? Only young walruses lack tusks while still dependant on their parents. To ask for a juvenile walrus in Lough Dubh would also require some assistance from another fellow Dubh monster of greater size. While Con Mahon did report seeing three animals in the lough the prior year, surely, given their behavior a small pod of walruses wouldn't have gone unnoticed during their leisurely fair weather basking.
Raising the DeadIn a one of the more unique suggestions I've heard involves Mullaney's line unknowingly freeing the lodged carcass of a drowned farm animal. The bloated abomination surfaces suddenly and its disfigured frame sends young Alphonsus running in confused terror with his father taking cue and following after.
An Enigma Amongst EnigmasIf Mullaney's account is taken for face value, what can be made of such a creature? The characteristics of this queer entity set it apart from the usual traits otherwise attributed to horse-eels. For example, the skin is almost always described as smooth and shiny or even "glimmering," like the skin of an eel whereas the Dubh beast was covered in "bristles." Also, the name seems to relate to the 'horse-like' head and mane, implying an elongated narrow muzzle. Again, a characteristic unlike the emphasized square head of Mullany's monster. And then there's the matter of the very unexpected white horn above the snout...
As incredible as it may seem, there are actually reports out of Scotland detailing strange hippo-like animals as well. Perhaps just as we're finding modern reports to suite the water-horse, it would appear its harmless counterpart the Water-Bull might also have been something more than a myth.
