Royal Canal re-opened

time lord · 24-09-2010 3:52pm #1

Shut in 1961, emptied of water in parts, flat bridges built across its width in many places the Royal Canal will officially be re-opened on 30th Sept 2010 from the Liffey to the Shannon.

murphaph · 24-09-2010 8:55pm

Is Spencer Dock fixed?

time lord · 24-09-2010 10:11pm

murphaph wrote: »

Is Spencer Dock fixed?

Still awaiting restoration are some 750m through Spencer Dock which remain partially infilled and owned by C.I.E. and include the inoperable lifting bridge at Sheriff St. (Dublin City Council) with its accompanying low-level ESB cable.

The spur into Longford Town is also not opening but on the up side it will be navigable from Dublin to the Shannon through Kilcock, Mullingar etc.

Source Dan Bath "Royal Canal News"

Log on to www.royalcanal.net for full information on the opening celebrations..

DWCommuter · 25-09-2010 1:18am

murphaph wrote: »

Is Spencer Dock fixed?

The section through the CIE site is effectively an unfinished building site and navigation through to the Liffey is impossible. This section was to be developed as a linear park during the grandiose spencer dock development. But considering that Spencer Dock north will not be developed in the foreseable future, I'd wager heavily that this linear park won't be developed and the canal will remain as it currently is. ie. A victim of the property boom and reality check.

But nice to finally see that the Royal is navigable again, even if its connection with the liffey is severed.:rolleyes:

Judgement Day · 25-09-2010 10:27am

DWCommuter wrote: »

The section through the CIE site is effectively an unfinished building site and navigation through to the Liffey is impossible. This section was to be developed as a linear park during the grandiose spencer dock development. But considering that Spencer Dock north will not be developed in the foreseable future, I'd wager heavily that this linear park won't be developed and the canal will remain as it currently is. ie. A victim of the property boom and reality check.

But nice to finally see that the Royal is navigable again, even if its connection with the liffey is severed.:rolleyes:

Agreed. I'm a 'minor' canal enthusiast as well a reformed train spotter but I still can't see the Royal Canal reaching anything near its full potential as long as the Dublin end is such a no go area. I have travelled on inner city canals in the UK and I've seen nothing to compare with the area around Broombridge or near Docklands. I wouldn't take a boat through there without armed guards.

Trick of the Tail · 25-09-2010 3:35pm

Any map of the canal please?

A.

Judgement Day · 25-09-2010 3:52pm

The Royal Canal Amenity Group have been behind the campaign to reopen the route since the early 1970s - see here: http://www.royalcanal.net/ and try Google images for numerous maps of the Royal Canal.

trellheim · 26-09-2010 2:56pm

didn't they put in new gates at Spencer Dock.

I can't see how "reopening" without being able to get to the Liffey is "reopening"

dubhthach · 26-09-2010 6:51pm

Well originally when the Royal canal opened for business on the Dublin end it was from Broadstone (branch filled in). The section to the liffey was built a little bit later. Somewhat akin to the Circular line of Grand Canal. However the Royal Canal company numbered it's locks from the liffey unlike the Grand, which were numbered from St. James basin, thence Lock 1 been at Suir Road on the Grand which is several locks above the Liffey at Ringsend.

Tabnabs · 28-09-2010 11:41am

time lord wrote: »

the Royal Canal will officially be re-opened on 30th Sept 2010 from the Liffey to the Shannon.

and be closed shortly thereafter due to water supply problems, (cart before the horse!)

Always read the small print

Carawaystick · 28-09-2010 10:23pm

dubhthach wrote: »

Well originally when the Royal canal opened for business on the Dublin end it was from Broadstone (branch filled in). The section to the liffey was built a little bit later. Somewhat akin to the Circular line of Grand Canal. However the Royal Canal company numbered it's locks from the liffey unlike the Grand, which were numbered from St. James basin, thence Lock 1 been at Suir Road on the Grand which is several locks above the Liffey at Ringsend.

the canal ended at the Blessington st Basin, which was a water reservoir for the good burghers of Dublin, bringing water from Lough Owel to Dublin.

The Library at Phibsboro is built across the old line of the canal, and it went down the side of the 'Joy to the present canal.

dowlingm · 29-09-2010 2:53am

Carawaystick wrote: »

The Library at Phibsboro is built across the old line of the canal, and it went down the side of the 'Joy to the present canal.

So the words of "The Auld Triangle" are no longer operative?

And the auld triangle
went jingle jangle
all along the banks
of the Royal Canal

L1011 · 29-09-2010 9:51am

the mainline runs along the north of the prison still.

FreudianSlippers · 29-09-2010 4:20pm

Judgement Day wrote: »

The Royal Canal Amenity Group have been behind the campaign to reopen the route since the early 1970s - see here: http://www.royalcanal.net/ and try Google images for numerous maps of the Royal Canal.

They don't seem to have any maps up yet.

Judgement Day · 29-09-2010 4:54pm

OisinT wrote: »

They don't seem to have any maps up yet.

Ireland's Royal Canal by Ruth Delany should prove useful for anybody seriously interested in the Royal Canal and it is available for €30 paperback or €35 hardback see here: http://www.lilliputpress.ie/listbook.html?id=138797961

images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ9dg8I7kDmRnneATkeOjJE7CbfcN658-8t2-PqmLvwLCh5jVI&t=1&usg=__NfGUtJiI6exKEvxzo-YUVOiWAr0=

images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ9dg8I7kDmRnneATkeOjJE7CbfcN658-8t2-PqmLvwLCh5jVI&t=1&usg=__NfGUtJiI6exKEvxzo-YUVOiWAr0=

DWCommuter · 29-09-2010 5:33pm

Some nice details on the Broadstone section of the Royal Canal at the link below.

http://irishwaterwayshistory.com/abandoned-or-little-used-irish-waterways/the-broadstone-line-of-the-royal-canal/

Overall its a great site for Canal history. The James Gate section of the Grand Canal is particularly interesting, given it was originally the mainline. I remember it in the late 70s looking very forlorn just before it was filled in completely and converted to a park. It was like a barge graveyard at the James Gate end.

dubhthach · 29-09-2010 7:46pm

Carawaystick wrote: »

the canal ended at the Blessington st Basin, which was a water reservoir for the good burghers of Dublin, bringing water from Lough Owel to Dublin.

The Library at Phibsboro is built across the old line of the canal, and it went down the side of the 'Joy to the present canal.

no the canal didn't end at Belessington Basin. It ended in Broadstone harbour, which Broadstone station was built beside. The harbour was later filled in and used for the freight yard of the MG&WR. This can be seen when you look at the Ordance Survey Historic 6" map
http://maps.osi.ie/publicviewer/#V1,715045,735230,6

By the time the 25" map had been done it was gone though Foster's Aqueduct still stood and wasn't demolished until 1951.

Pope John 11 · 01-10-2010 12:03pm

Has the reopening date changed, or what, has anyone an update on this.

http://www.iwai.ie/forum/read.php?1,6778,page=4

mackerski · 01-10-2010 3:53pm

alinton wrote: »

Any map of the canal please?

It's fairly well-mapped on OpenStreetMap. Though if anybody can contribute missing locks or anything else of interest, please do.

T Corolla · 01-10-2010 9:19pm

Does this mean you can travel from Longford to Dublin by boat.

Judgement Day · 01-10-2010 9:46pm

T Corolla wrote: »

Does this mean you can travel from Longford to Dublin by boat.

No. The Longford branch has not been restored - you can travel from Dublin to the River Shannon.

T Corolla · 01-10-2010 9:56pm

How will you be able to get there is there another way sorry I'm not that well up on the canal

Judgement Day · 01-10-2010 9:59pm

T Corolla wrote: »

How will you be able to get there is there another way sorry I'm not that well up on the canal

Post #15

T Corolla · 01-10-2010 10:09pm

Thanks judgement day

baldbear · 02-10-2010 1:12am

Judgement Day wrote: »

No. The Longford branch has not been restored - you can travel from Dublin to the River Shannon.

I'm sure that clondara in Longford is the start point, from Richmond harbour. Can any ordinary joe book a trip on a boat?

Vic_08 · 02-10-2010 2:04am

baldbear wrote: »

I'm sure that clondara in Longford is the start point, from Richmond harbour. Can any ordinary joe book a trip on a boat?

You can hire a boat, there are plenty of companies hiring cruisers on the Shannon and narrowboats on the Grand canal, I imagine that there will be boats available on the Royal soon if not already.

Although it has been physically possible to navigate hire craft all the way to the city centre on the Grand canal most if not all hire companies prohibit them being taken into the Dublin area for security reasons, I would expect the same to be the case for the Royal Canal.

Judgement Day · 02-10-2010 8:36am

Vic_08 wrote: »

You can hire a boat, there are plenty of companies hiring cruisers on the Shannon and narrowboats on the Grand canal, I imagine that there will be boats available on the Royal soon if not already.

Although it has been physically possible to navigate hire craft all the way to the city centre on the Grand canal most if not all hire companies prohibit them being taken into the Dublin area for security reasons, I would expect the same to be the case for the Royal Canal.

And that about says it all! A country with a zero tolerance policy of doing anything about law and order. How can the country be marketed for tourists when this type of situation continues? :mad:

silverharp · 02-10-2010 12:05pm

whats it like to cycle along it once you get out of Dublin?

L1011 · 02-10-2010 5:54pm

silverharp wrote: »

whats it like to cycle along it once you get out of Dublin?

bumpy! Its grass towpath most of the way, some is gravel and some is very well compacted/graded gravel.

westtip · 03-10-2010 9:51am

MYOB wrote: »

bumpy! Its grass towpath most of the way, some is gravel and some is very well compacted/graded gravel.

But is it possible to walk along the tow path the entire route?

Judgement Day · 03-10-2010 10:37am

westtip wrote: »

But is it possible to walk along the tow path the entire route?

Hands off, the entire canal and towpath are needed for the imminent four tracking of the Dublin/Galway line - to cope with all the extra traffic coming off the WRC!

Royal Canal re-opened

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