The Royal Canal links the River Liffey in Dublin to the River Shannon in Longford. 90 miles in length it has a 5 mile branch line in Longford Town. The canal winds it’s way through the North Dublin suburbs, the green pastures of Kildare, including Kilcock, Meath, Westmeath, Longford and down into Richmond Harbour in the village of Cloondra. Rising out of Dublin through a series of 25 locks it reaches the smmit level near Mullingar and then descends a further 20 locks to its destination to Richmond Harbour. Lough Owel in Co. Westmeath is the main source of water supply for the canal.
Construction
Construction of the Royal Canal commenced in Dublin in 1789 and was opened to Kilcock, one the region’s major trading and market towns, in 1796. Mullingar was reached in 1806 and and after financial difficulties that saw the Royal Canal Company dissolved the canal was completed by public expense in 1817 to the Shannon at Tarmunbarry.
Modest Success
For about thirty years following it’s completion the canal enjoyed modest success. Goods traffic built up to 134,000 tons annually by 1833, but this was far short of the business which the Grand Canal was attracting. Traffic on the upper reaches of the Shannon was disapointing and the anticipated trade from Lough Allen did not materialise. However the branch line to Longford town was completed in 1830 and hotels were built at Broadstone in Dublin and Moyvalley in Co. Kildare. Annual passenger numbers built up to 46,000 in 1837. The passenger journey time from Dublin to Mullingar was initally about twelve hours but was reduced to eight hours when lighter “fly” boats were introduced in 1833. http://www.royalcanal.net/history.html
Decline
The era of the railway began in the mid 1800′s and the slow decline of the Royal Canal began. The opening of the railway line to Mullingar in 1849 saw passenger and freight traffic on the canal decrease dramatically. By 1877 Broadstone Harbour was filled in as a forecourt for the railway terminus. By 1922 the number of boats trading was 13.
Word War Two bought a short lived revival of trade to both Royal and Grand Canals but by 1951 the last trader, James Leech of Killucan ceased trading.
Saving the Canal
In 1955 Douglas Heard’s “Hark” was the last offically recorded boat to pass through the canal before it’s closure in 1961. A film was made of the journey. The Save the Royal Canal Campaign began in 1974 and the Royal Canal Amenity Group was formed. This voluntary body operating on a financial shoestring but with unstinting commitment, was instrumental in stopping the motorway plans for the Dublin section and in ensuring that no further low level bridges were built.
Kilcock Harbour Restoration
The Kilcock Royal Canal Amenity Group was formed in 1982 and within months had performed a tremendous amount of work clearing out the canal which was choked with weeds and silt. Within a year the harbour had been transformed and was a center piece for the groups work.
The Royal Canal is Re-Opens
Mid 2010 saw the Royal Canal re-open offering boat enthusiasts the chance to travel from the Liffey River in Dublin along some 90 miles to the Shannon. The official opening will take place in September 2010.
This piece was drafted mainly from the “A Brief History of Ireland’s Royal Canal’ by Noel Spaine, Vice President of the Royal Canal Amenity Group with some extracts from their website: http://www.royalcanal.net/