The Dobhar-chu, from Irish folklore, is a freshwater cryptid covered in fur and said to have the characteristics of both an otter and a dog, being approximately seven feet from head to tail. The word Dobhar-chu could be translated to “water hound”. It is also known to some locals as the Irish crocodile, not from appearance, but by its viciousness. It is said to be able to move swiftly in or out of the water.
Many sightings have been reported with the most recent being in 2003 when a couple witnessed one swimming on Omey Island. They described it as a large black creature that could swim very fast, had orange flipper-like feet, and made a haunting screech.
Most of the attacks reported by the Dobhar-chu have been by word of mouth; however, one documented attack is as follows:
In a cemetery in Glendale, a headstone relates to the death of a woman buried there to a Dobhar-chu, being killed by the creature on September 27, 1722. Her husband heard her screams while she was washing clothes at Glendale lough. He ran down to where she was but he found a Dobhar-chu over her mutilated body. He stabbed the creature in the heart and it whistled as it died. The mate of the Dobhar-chu chased the man and he fought the creature, eventually killing it.
Image Caption: Artist Impression by Eye Witness Sean Corcoran. This creature was encountered on Omey Island, Connemara, Co. Galway, Ireland. Credit: Bango Art/Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0)