Barrow Navigation Co
The River Barrow is the second largest river in Ireland and one of the major waterways of the country. The expansion of the canal system in the 18th Century linked the River Barrow and the South-East region with the Grand Canal and Dublin and many were for the idea the river could be an important transport and commercial route.
For a description of the Barrown Navigation see Barrow Navigation - River and Lateral Canal
The first Parliamentary Committee established to make the River Barrow navigable was set up in 1703 but no action was forthcoming.[1]
In 1759, the Burgess of Carlow petitioned Parliament for an amount of £2,000 to make the Barrow navigable from Monasterevin to St. Mullins. The grant was approved but no progress was recorded. By 1761, work began under the engineer, Thomas Omer and John Semple (overseer). Progress was slow and over twenty years later in 1783, the work had only reached Clashganny just upstream from Graignamanagh. [2]
The Barrow Navigation Co was established in 1790 and work progressed under William Chapman.
In 1790 the Barrow line of the Grand Canal to Athy was completed by Archibald Millar, it is reported that nearly 4000 men worked on the line.[3]
1850 The Company had its own boats on the canal.[4]
Although competition from the Great Southern and Western Railway Company was threatening the company, Barrow Navigation managed to become quite profitable. However, as railway competition increased, traffic on the Barrow Navigation decreased and in 1894, the Barrow Navigation Company sold out to the Grand Canal Co who eventually then controlled all the waterways in the South of Ireland. [5]
For photographs of the River Barrow see Wikimedia
Note: The Barrow Navigation Company by Seamus Murphy (2009) is digitally available from the SMCL.
See Also
Sources of Information
- ↑ www.askaboutireland.ie
- ↑ www.askaboutireland.ie
- ↑ www.barrowriver.ie
- ↑ The Barrow Navigation Company by Seamus Murphy (2009)
- ↑ www.askaboutireland.ie