The Gearagh
Middle Square
This is the name given to an inland delta with the remains of an ancient alluvial oak forest. The area was flooded when the river Lee was dammed in the 1950's by the Electricity Supply Board. Thousands of stumps of oak trees and field boundaries illustrate the past. The area is also of interest to botanists and bird watchers, and was declared a nature reserve in 1987. Visitors can walk across the causeway when the reservoir level is low. Visitors are advised to remain on the paths, and not to enter the forest, due to the fast flowing river channels. Coarse fishing is permitted, but difficult due to the submerged branches. Note though that pike are a protected species in Ireland. It is 3km from Macroom on the N71 to Bantry road.
