Loughrea

Loughrea  is a town in County Galway, Ireland. The town lies north of a range of wooded hills, the Slieve Aughty Mountains. The town expanded in recent years as it increasingly becomes a commuter town for the city of Galway. The town takes its name from Loch Riach (Irish for "the grey lake") on which it lies. It is also suggested that the lake's name derives from Loch Riabhach (meaning "speckled lake"). This alternative Irish name is used in the name the local Irish-language multi-faith primary school: Gaelscoil Riabhach. The town is within an area that was historically called Trícha Máenmaige.