Canal Walk with Joe Molloy

Today we went for a walk on the old Grand canal that goes through Clontuskert parish with Joe Molloy from Clontuskert Heritage group.
We learned lots of history about the canal:
Go raibh míle maith agat Joe as ucht an cabhair go léir!

The gate house at the top of the road led into Pollack’s estate. Alan Pollack was the first landowner. He bought the estate of 29,000 acres for one million pounds.
The goods brought on the canal barges were unloaded at a dock at Lismany.
Lismany bridge was made from hand cut stone. The heavy stones in middle kept the bridge together.
The canal from Shannon harbour to Ballinasloe was built from 1820 to 1828. The canal was 8 to 10 feet in depth.
The aqueduct carried the water from Cloonascragh river under the canal bed.
The barges were drawn by horses on the tow paths. These tow paths were on either side of the canal. After a while the horses drawn barges were replaced by steam and then diesel barges.
The canal was called the Grand Canal. It went from Dublin to Ballinasloe.
Ballinasloe was a very rich town because there was a depot (near where the Carlton Shearwater is now) where all the goods were sold to everyone in the west of Ireland. Guinness brought their beer from Dublin to Ballinasloe on barges.
The canal was shut in 1959.
Find out more on www.clontuskert.com