The Dobhar-chu

The Dobhar-chu or water hound is a lake dwelling creature of Irish Folklore. It is covered in short white fur with a dark cross on it’s back and described as being like a dog or a large sea otter. In an 1896 article for the ‘Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland’, Miss Walkington described a Dobhar-chu from Bundoran, as being “half wolf-dog, half-fish”.

There are stories of people being attacked and killed by Dobhar-chu. One such attack was around Lough Mask and a more famous encounter with a Dobhar-chu was at Lough Glenade where a pair of Dobhar-chu were said to live.

Also referred to as dobarcu, dobhar-chú, doyarchu, dhuragoo. King of all the Lakes, Father of all the Otters.