ESCR - Outlying Sites in Fermanagh & Tyrone; Fardrum

Earth Science Conservation Review

Summary Full report
Outlying Sites in Fermanagh & Tyrone; Fardrum	Fermanagh

Site number:	1164
ESCC:	IC
Locality Type:	Karst	Status:	ASSI
Grid Reference:	H177507,H185494 Centroid, Not Entered
Google maps:	54.40505,-7.72742
County:	Fermanagh	Council area:	Fermanagh & Omagh District Council
Period:	Quaternary, Carboniferous
Stages:	Chadian, Holocene
Lithostrat:	Ballyshannon Limestone Formation

Site Description
Highlights:
Karstic loughs which fill and empty in response to ground water levels.
Introduction:
Three small lakes are situated in Fardrum and Roosky townlands at approximately 70m amsl. The largest, Fardrum Lough, has an inlet stream and an outlet which passes through a short impenetrable cave into a quarry. The smaller unnamed loughs to the north and south are ephemeral and appear to be turloughs. History of Exploration: The sites are known locally but are of no interest to cavers and there are no known published records of this feature. Fardrum Turlough (H177 507). Roosky Turlough (H185 494).
Description:
These loughs are situated on the undulating northeast facing slopes to the west of Lower Lough Erne in the townlands of Fardrum and Roosky. They are developed on the Ballyshannon Limestone in depressions and do not have visible surface inlets or outlets. During dry periods the depressions are completely empty of water but they fill rapidly during wet periods. There are a number of small stream sinks ~40m above the Fardrum turlough just to the west of the single track road. In the Roosky Turlough there is at least one obvious point of drainage from the turlough which is the lowest point in the depression.
Importance:
These features are the only turloughs in Northern Ireland, with the exception of the Garron turlough in County Antrim. Turloughs, although relatively common in County Clare, have few examples elsewhere in Britain and Ireland.
Interpretation:
These karst depressions in the Ballyshannon Limestone appear to drain underground into the bedrock and fill as the groundwater level is raised during periods of wet weather. The location of the stream sinks (H176 503) suggest that they feed the Fardrum Turlough. The flood debris on the bushes around Roosky Turlough indicate water levels of ~1.5-2m above the lowest point in the depression, and a water surface area of up to 150m by 150m is achieved in wet periods.
Conclusions:
CONCLUSION These turloughs are in a good state of preservation and are sites of significant karst geomorphological and geological interest and quality in a Northern Irish context.
Notes:
For site specific information see; Key Site 1084 - Fardrum Turlough Key Site 1085 - Roosky Turlough. For information and reference lists on the systems and features of other outlying karst areas in Fermanagh and Tyrone see; Key Site 1163 - Garrison Key Site 1165 - Kiltierney Deer Park Key Site 1166 - Knockninny & Molly Mountain Key Site 1167 - Lough Lee-Binnawooda area Key Site 1168 - Slieve Beagh area. BIOLOGICAL INTEREST It is possible that, as in County Clare, these turloughs have a specific flora associated with the feature.

Keywords
Rocks:	Limestone
Geomorph:	turlough

Measurements
Length:		Width:		Height:	~70 m amsl
Depth:		Area:

Access
Planning:	HISTORY OF EXPLORATION The sites are known locally but are of no interest to cavers and there are no known published records of this feature.
Management:
Threats to these sites include alterations to the drainage in the area around the depressions or in the depressions themselves. The introduction of pollutants or dumping in the depressions would affect the features and their ecology. Use of the turloughs for animal watering has caused considerable tramping damage to both turloughs. The drainage outlet from Fardrum Lough has been altered, presumably to increase flow and prevent flooding. This lough is not technically a turlough as it has a surface inlet. Monitoring of water levels and dye tracing would be valuable in establishing the true nature of these features.
Threats:	Dumping; alteration to drainage patterns.

References (28)
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Oswald, D.H., 1955. The Carboniferous Rocks between the Ox Mountains and Donegal Bay. Journal of the Geological Society of London, vol. 111, pp.167-186.
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Map(s):	Two areas have been outlined on OSNI 1:10,000 sheet 192; FD 1. Fardrum Turlough. FD 2. Roosky Turlough.
Record type:	ESCR report
Entered by:	E M Porter

Enlander, I., Dempster, M. & Doughty, P., 2026. Outlying Sites in Fermanagh & Tyrone; Fardrum, County Fermanagh, site details. [In] Earth Science Conservation Review.
https://www.habitas.org.uk/escr/site.php?item=1164. Accessed on 2026-11-08.