Royal Canal
| Royal Canal An Chanáil Ríoga |
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| Construction began | 1790 |
| Date completed | 1817 |
| Date restored | 2010 |
| Start point | Cloondara |
| End point | Spencer Dock, Dublin |
| Connects to | River Shannon |
| Length | 90 miles (140 km) |
| Status | Open |
| Navigation authority | Waterways Ireland |
The Royal Canal (Irish: An Chanáil Ríoga) is a canal originally built for freight and passenger transportation from the River Liffey at Dublin to the River Shannon at Cloondara in County Longford in Ireland. It fell into disrepair, but since has been restored for navigation. The full length of the canal was re-opened on 1 October 2010.
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[edit] History
Work commenced in 1790 and lasted 27 years before finally reaching the Shannon in 1817, at a total cost of £1,421,954 [1]. The canal passes through Maynooth, Kilcock, Enfield, Mullingar and Ballymahon has a spur to Longford. The total length of the main navigation is 145 kilometres (90 mi), and the system has 46 locks. There is one main feeder (from Lough Owel), which enters the canal at Mullingar. At the Dublin end, the canal reaches the Liffey through a wide sequence of dock and locks at Spencer Dock, with a final sea lock to manage access to the river and sea.
In 1843, while walking with his wife along the Royal Canal, Sir William Rowan Hamilton realised the formula for quaternions and carved his initial thoughts into a stone on the Brougham Bridge over the canal.
[edit] Transport links
The canal is notable in that the Dublin - Mullingar railway line was built alongside the canal for much of the distance. The meandering route of the canal resulted in many speed-limiting curves on the railway. The canal was bought by the Midland Great Western Railway to provide a route to the West of Ireland, the original plan being to close the canal and build the railway along its bed.
The canal travels across one of the major junctions on the M50/N3 in a specially constructed aqueduct.
[edit] Present day
By the 1970s the canal was falling into total disrepair and became a dumping ground for old cars and rubbish. Proposals that the inner Dublin part of the canal be converted to a motorway[1] led to the local community forming an action group to encourage the Dublin City Council to clean and maintain the canal.
Today Waterways Ireland is responsible for the canal. The full canal between the Liffey in Dublin and the Shannon in Co. Longford reopened on 2 October 2010.[2] Access points currently exist near Leixlip and at Maynooth, Enfield, Thomastown, Mullingar, Ballinea Bridge and Ballynacargy.
In 2006 a commemoration marker was erected at Piper's Boreen, Mullingar, to mark the 200 years since the canal reached Mullingar in 1806.
[edit] Royal Canal Way
The Royal Canal Way is a 79-kilometre (49-mile) long-distance trail that follows the towpath of the canal from Ashtown, Dublin to Abbeyshrule, County Longford.[3] It is typically completed in three days.[3] It is designated as a National Waymarked Trail by the National Trails Office of the Irish Sports Council and is managed by Waterways Ireland.[3] The Royal Canal Way connects with the Westmeath Way west of Mullingar.[4]
[edit] The Auld Triangle
The Royal Canal was immortalised in verse by Brendan Behan's brother in The Auld Triangle. A monument featuring Behan sitting on a bench was erected on the canal bank at Binn's Bridge in Drumcondra in 2004.
- And the auld triangle went jingle jangle,
- All along the banks of the Royal Canal.
The other large canal in Ireland is the Grand Canal from Dublin's southside through the Midlands to the River Shannon.
[edit] See also
- List of bridges over the Royal Canal in Greater Dublin
- Canals of Ireland
- Rivers of Ireland
- Transport in Ireland
[edit] References
- ^ "History of The Royal Canal". Royal Canal Amenity Group. http://www.royalcanal.net/history.html. Retrieved 2010-10-02.
- ^ Ellis, Fiona (2010-10-02). "Crowds gather to push boat out for reopening of restored Royal Canal". Irish Independent. http://www.independent.ie/national-news/crowds-gather-to-push-boat-out-for-reopening-of-restored-royal-canal-2361813.html. Retrieved 2010-10-02.
- ^ a b c "Royal Canal Way". IrishTrails. Irish Sports Council. http://www.irishtrails.ie/trail/Royal-Canal-Way/28/. Retrieved 8 August 2011.
- ^ "Westmeath Way: Map 3 Ladestown to Mullingar" (pdf). IrishTrails. Irish Sports Council. http://www.irishtrails.ie/maps/WMW%20-%20Map%203%20Ladestown%20to%20Mullingar.pdf. Retrieved 8 August 2011.
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Royal Canal |
- IWAI - Guide to the Royal Canal of Ireland
- Bond Bridge, Maynooth
- Royal Canal Amenity Group
- Royal Canal Walk
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