Ree

Lough Ree widens the course of the Shannon between Lanesborough and Athlone. Its islands and indented shores punctuate a waterway that has long connected the midlands of Ireland. Several islands became sites of monasteries: Inchcleraun in the middle of the lake held churches built over many centuries, while Inchmore also had a religious house. After the dissolution of monasteries, the islands became objects of grants and lordship; in 1567 the English deputy Sir Henry Sidney recommended that Inchmore be granted to the Baron of Delvin.