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Medieval
History |
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Over 300
years before the Christian era, legend has it that a great battle
took place to capture the Fort of Dinn Righ, a large mound near
Leighlinbridge. The presence of such formidable defensive
structure indicates the importance of the Barrow as a strategic
military highway as well as a highway for commerce since earliest
times. Evidence of early Christian and later medieval church
establishments can be seen all along the river, notably at or near
St. Mullins, Old Leighlin, Carlow, Sleaty, Nurney and
Monasterevan. |
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History
of the Barrow Navigation |
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I537 |
An Act
of parliament was passed referring to the River Barrow and "other
waters in the County of Kilkenny". Under this act it became
illegal to build a weir across the river to raise water levels for
fishing or milling without putting a "King's Gap" or flash lock
into the weir to allow boats to pass. |
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1703 |
Committee of Irish Commons
appointed to bring in a bill tp make the River Barrow navigable. |
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1709 |
Reported by Colonel Smithwick and
others that the River Barrow could be made navigable from Athy to
the sea for £3,000. |
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1715 |
2 George 1, c 12 (Ir) authorised
work to be carried out to make many navigations in Ireland
including the River Barrow, and set up local commissions for the
purpose. |
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1751 |
25 George 11, c 10 (Ir)
established commissioners of Inland Navigations. |
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I759 |
Burgesses of Carlow and adjoining
counties sought £2,000 from the commissioners to remove
obstructions in the River Barrow from Monasterevin to the sea. |
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1761 |
Work commenced at Carriglead and
continued through the 1760s and 1770s between St. Mullins and
Graiguenamanagh. |
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1783 |
Work completed upstream to
Clashganna. |
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1790 |
Barrow Navigation Company
incorporated and took over the complete works. Total tonnage
carried 16,000 tons. |
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1800 |
Trackway from St. Mullins to Athy
completed. 10 lateral canals and locks finished and 4 of the
original locks were enlarged to accommodate boats of up to 80
tons. Total tonnage carried 19,828 tons. |
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1803 |
Contract agreed with the Directors
General of Inland Navigation to complete the navigation to a depth
of 5ft and to reduce tolls in return for an additional grant. |
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1812 |
Estimated that over £220,000 had
been spent on the navigation, more than half of which had come
from public funds. The navigation had been completed to Athy but
the depths in the river were still very unsatisfactory. |
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1830 |
Navigation still reported to be very unsatisfactory. Total tonnage
carried 58,100 tons. |
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1834 |
New
lateral canal and lock constructed at Clogrennan. |
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1845 |
Tonnage
rose to 88,000 tons, evenly divided between upriver and downriver
traffic. Half of the total was shipment of corn, meal, malt and
flour. |
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1871 |
Dividend
of 6% paid to shareholders. |
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1894 |
57 & 58
Victoria, c26 transferred the entire undertaking of the Barrow
Navigation Company to Grand Canal Company for £32,000. |
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1922 |
Canals
and Inland Waterways Commission reported frequent delays caused by
defects in the navigation and low water levels in summer. |
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1935 |
Upper
Barrow drainage scheme increased silting in the lateral canals and
led to an increase in currents in winter. £18,000 compensation
paid to Grand Canal Company. |
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1950 |
Navigation transferred to Córas Iompair Éireann (CIE). |
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1959 |
Commercial trade withdrawn by CIE. |
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1986 |
Navigation transferred to The Office of Public Works (OPW). |
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1996 |
The
Inland waterways under
control of the OPW were transferred to the Waterways Service of
the Department of the Arts , Culture and the Gaeltacht, and are
now part of Dúhas, The Heritage Service of the Department of Arts,
Heritage, Gaeltacht & the Islands. |