Devil's Punchbowl, Kerry
The Devil's Punchbowl is a corrie filled with a large tarn on the north side of Mangerton Mountain in County Kerry, giving the mountain a distinct appearance.
The lake is the source of the Owengarriff River, which overspills from here, running north down Mangerton and across the east slope of Torc Mountain, where it tumbles over the crags as the Torc Waterfall, one of the famous sights around the Lakes of Killarney.
The surface of the lake is around 2,200 feet above sea level, just 550 feet below the summit of the mountain, and it is about a quarter of a mile across. Legend has it that it is immense depth due to its infernal origin, which may not be too inaccurate if it is indeed the Devil's Punchbowl is the remnant of a volcanic crater.
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References
- Take a hearty sup from the Devil's Punchbowl: Tom Doherty in The Irish Times, 6 December 2008
- Stirling Coyne, J, & Willis, N.P.: The Scenery and Antiquities of Ireland: Carran-tuel, Mangerton, the Devil’s Punchbowl (1841), via Library Ireland
