By David Flynn
In the summer of 1960 few questioned the word of three priests when they said that they saw a monster in the waters of one of the major lakes of the River Shannon! At that time, decades before social media, the declared apparition on Lough Ree built up mass media interest with the likes of BBC television and radio and many international newspapers.
It was, May 18th, 1960, the middle of Mayfly fishing season when three priests, Fr. Daniel Quigly, Fr. Matthew Burke and Fr. Daniel Murray, were enjoying fishing on the lake, at St. Mark’s Island near Glasson outside Athlone in Co. Westmeath.
One of the men noticed an unusual object roughly 100 yards away from their boat. According to the priests the object was like a coil whose length from its end to its head was 6 feet. They said that roughly 18 inches of head and neck appeared out of the water.
The three priests reported that there were two sections (of something) above the water.
They said the creature’s movement along the water was steady and it was travelling at a very leisurely speed, and was unconcerned about their (priests) presence.