Two new sculptural works by artist Kevin O’Dwyer have been officially launched at Lough Boora Discovery Park, marking the first major additions to the park’s sculpture collection in over a decade. The works, titled Regeneration and Light as a Feather, reflect the park’s evolving story of transformation from industrial peatlands to a landscape of ecological restoration, culture and public enjoyment.
Regeneration draws inspiration from the seed as a symbol of renewal, growth, and cyclical change. Rising vertically from the ground, the work acknowledges the industrial history of the site while pointing toward its continued regeneration.
Light as a Feather offers a contrasting visual language — a suspended, airy form that engages with space, balance, stillness and the quiet expansiveness of Boora’s open horizon.
“Lough Boora is a place shaped by change, resilience and imagination,” said Kevin O’Dwyer. “These works are rooted in the landscape’s capacity to hold memory while continually becoming something new. O’Dwyer says it has been an honour to contribute to this next chapter in the park’s cultural and environmental renewal.”
Ted Barrett, one of the pioneers of cruising on the canal, was well aware of its environmental and leisure value. By the late 1960s he was advocating linking the canals with the lakes that might be made from the disused bogs to form a type of Norfolk Broads in Ireland.[1] In this letter of October 1964 he was to show his diplomatic and marketing skills in the course of advocating canal cruising. Barrett was the author of a guide to cruising on the canals.[2] At about the same time as Barrett Harry Egan and Frank Egan of Tullamore had developed a cruiser hire business based at Tullamore Harbour under the name Gay Line Cruisers. Later this was followed by Celtic Canal Cruisers (Mike and Heather Thomas). In fact by mid-1964 things were looking up for the Grand Canal after several years of uncertainty due to the Dublin Corporation proposal to cover over parts of the canal line in Dublin to facilitate sewerage disposal. The IWAI had been formed in 1954 to promote all the waterways but by the 1960s was in the van in protecting the Grand Canal waterway. A branch had been formed in Tullamore with the support of Frank Egan and PV Egan. These men went on to establish Gay Line Cruisers, based in Tullamore, and got involved in boat building. 1964 was also the year in which Brendan Smyth (d. 2021) of Banagher started his Silver Line Cruisers business – now one of the most successful on the Shannon and led by his children Barbara and Morgan. By 1991 up to nine hire cruise firms were offering almost 400 cruisers for self-drive, mostly on the River Shannon.
Kilgortin is in the Electoral Division of Rahan, in Civil Parish of Rahan, this parish is situated in the ancient O’Molloy territory of Fear Ceall meaning the mem of the woods or men of the churches. If you look closely along the line in this area you will see deposits of brick clays along the Grand Canal between Ballycowan and Rahan, this was the source of an energetic brick industry in the past. In this part of Rahan you will find the site of Rahan Monastic Centre, this is the most famous archaeological site in this location. It was a very important aspect of Early Christian period.
This article looks at the north Offaly towns featured in Major (later general) Vallancey’s report carried out in 1771 and designed to support the construction of the new Grand Canal line to Tullamore and the Shannon. Vallancey was then a young engineer, employed to report to the Commissioners of Inland Navigation and his findings were published in, AReport on the Grand Canal or Southern Line (Dublin 1771).[1] This report is useful as a window on some of the north King’s County (hereafter generally referred to as Offaly) towns and villages.[2]
The pioneering travel book on the Irish canals was Green and Silver (London, 1949) by L.T.C. Rolt. Tom Rolt made his voyage of discovery by motor cruiser in 1946 along the course of the Grand Canal, the Royal Canal and the Shannon navigation from Boyne to Limerick. The Delanys writing in 1966, considered Rolt’s book to be the most comprehensive dealing with the inland waterways of Ireland. [1] In this extract Banagher gets a severe press very unlike the optimism of the 1890-1914 period and again in the 1960s. Banagher also got a severe jolt post 2008. Things are now improving with sunlit uplands breaking through.
Moving off to Shannon Harbour Rolt got sight of the many arched bridges at Shannon Bridge and passed beneath the swinging span. See last week’s blog by Donal Boland covering the same trip in 2023 as far as Tullamore.
Shannon Harbour with the police barracks and the collector’s/agent’s house.
“Just below, was the Grand Canal depot with a canal boat lying alongside the quay. Opposite, and commanding the bridge was a gloomy fortress backed by a defensive wall of formidable proportions which extended westward like a grey comb along the crest of yet another of the green esker ridges. It was a symbol of the more peaceful times that have now come to the Shannon that, according to the signs displayed, part of the fortress had now become a village shop and bar.”[2]
A singlehanded trip from the River Shannon to the town of Tullamore along the western section of the Grand Canal was conducted by the writer over seven days in August, 2023. The trip was conducted aboard the heritage vessel Bomb Scow a converted thirty-three foot Royal Navy seaplane tender. Our thanks to Donal Boland for this comprehensive overview of the Brosna Line, Shannon Harbour to Tullamore which is better presented as one extensive with its helpful picture coverage. This comprises articles 6 to 10 in the series on Grand Canal Offaly.
Content
Overview
Entrance from the River Shannon
First Lock Number 36
Lock 36 to 35
Lock 35 to 34 Shannon harbour
Lock 34 to 33 Clonony Barracks
Lock 33 Belmont…
Belmont to Tullamore
Memories
Appendix 1: Hull and Spoke Concept
Appendix 2: The Napoleonic Aspect
1. Overview
A singlehanded trip from the River Shannon to the town of Tullamore along the western section of the Grand Canal was conducted by the writer over seven days in August, 2023. The trip was conducted aboard the heritage vessel Bomb Scow a converted thirty-three foot Royal Navy seaplane tender.
The trip, was a fact-finding event to record the on-water experience as part of an initiative to highlight the possibility of attracting more visitors to this section of the canal. Described here as The Grand Extension, previous research had revealed its construction was later than the eastern section of the canal and forming part of the British Militaries Napoleonic defensive network.
The route commenced in the west on the callow fringed landscape of the River Shannon, travelling through boglands on a raised section of the canal and terminating to the east in an Esker dominated upland landscape, encountering the villages of Shannon Harbour, Belmont, Ferbane, Pollagh, Rahan and the town of Tullamore.
The Stllwater Navigation extending for a distance of twenty two miles and rising some ninty feet is comprised historically of the waterway, ten locks, twenty bridges, eighteen aquaducts, four feeders and four spillways. Presently the waterway is managed by four lock keepers or waterway patrollers with overlapping areas of responsibility, who operate the lock systems and control the sections water levels.
The Grand Extension, Town and Villages The heritage vessel Bomb Scow moored on The Grand Extension
2. Entrance from the River Shannon
The Stillwater navigation of The Grand Extension is accessed from the River Shannon by way of the Brosna River and its confluence with the Shannon. This entrance is characterised by magnificent over-hanging foliage to the north and earthen banks associated with the canal’s construction to the south. An isolated, derelict bridge-keeper’s cottage that stands on Bullock Island is passed as you enter the River Brosna waterway.
The confluence of the River Brosna waterway with the River Shannon
The River Brosna waterway
The confluence of the River Brosna Waterway and The Grand Extension
3. Lock Number 36
Lock 36 is the final, lowest lock on the Grand Canal system and the first lock you meet when arriving from the River Shannon. A long, floating jetty stands on the southern bank immediately below the lock, providing access to land by way of a large sloping ramp. The lock constructed of cut-stone is entered via wooden balanced, hanging gates that incorporate water control sluices, operated by the lock keeper utilising a rack and pinion mechanism mounted on the gates topside. The gates are opened and closed by way of the long balance beam that extends from each gate.
An engraved stone plaque mounted on the north wall of the lock, details the construction and features of the extension.
The entrance to Lock 36 and its large waiting jetty
The empty cut-stone lock chamber and wooden gates
The full lock chamber and upper-gates
The upper lock gates opened and the ever-attendant lock keeper
4. Lock 36 to 35
This short section of the canal provides an initial experience and understanding of the Stillwater navigation. It is many times narrower than the River Shannon with a defined navigation path bordered by moored vessels to the north and a rich reed-based ecosystem to the south.
Entering the first section of The Grand Extension
The short canal section extending from Lock 36 to Lock 35
Lock 35
5. Lock 35 to 34
The second, Lock 35 on the system, provides access from the first level up to the second level which is comprised of Shannon Harbour, Griffith and Clonony bridges and a section of canal extending to the thirty fourth lock that contains numerous moored vessels for most of its length The waterway beyond the moored vessels starts to provide an understanding of the true characteristics of this Stillwater navigation.
A feature of this canal is the construction of bridges and locks immediately adjacent to one another, this allowed for the transfer of horses (which were originally employed to pull barges along the navigation) from one towpath to the other.
Entering Shannon Harbour
Shannon Harbour
The canal extending to Clonony Bridge and Lock 34
Clonony Bridge and Lock 34
6. Lock 34 to 33
The section of canal east of Lock 34 is best described as the military section as along its northern bank lies the remains of Clonony Military Barracks – most likely the military destination of the canal and the reason it was constructed swiftly. The military grounds are defined to the west by a wooden fence and metal gate and to the east by a long roadside timber fence. The towpath within the military grounds is substantially wider encompassing a lay-by or mooring area. Immediately east of the military grounds lies L’Estrange Bridge and Quay which was utilised by the L’Estrange family for commercial purposes possibly associated with the barracks.
The canal beyond L’Estrange Bridge and Quay displays its mature natural character as a tranquil linear still-waterway navigation mostly devoid of habitation and humanity broken only by the arrival of Belmont Mill.
The Eastern and Western boundaries of the Military Lands
The lay-by and broader towpath within the Military Grounds
L’Estrange Bridge / Quay and Belmont Store
The magnificent natural features of The Grand Extension
7. Lock 33
Lock 33 or Belmont Lock is the only double lock on the Grand Extension. A double lock is constructed when a high lift is required at a location. The standard lift for locks on the canal is circa eight feet while the lift a Belmont Lock is some fifteen feet. Transiting this lock is a delightful experience hard to describe and best experienced.
Belmont Mill and Lock
Lock 33 at Belmont
Filling the lower level
Filling and emerging from the upper level 8.Belmont to Tullamore
The canal extending east from Belmont Lock to Tullamore is best described as isolated continuous delightful for some and a horror for others. The mind may transition into a relaxed static state imbibing the natural landscape and the activities of inhabiting creatures or one may be bored to insanity. The architecture of the locks, bridges and associated buildings coupled with the relatively unchanged landscape propels one back in time to the period of the canal’s construction in the early eighteen hundreds. This relaxation is interspersed by interludes of surprise and delight when a bridge is encountered and frantic activity when locking from one level to another. The villages of Gallen/Ferbane, Pollagh and Rahan when encountered are a connection with present times providing basic mooring facilities. The town of Tullamore provides an opportunity for the replenishment of supplies and the possibility of fresh water. The facilities available to the canal traveller are sparse and presently reflect the industrial era of canal usage.
A simple water tap
The continuous Stillwater Navigation
A canal bridge endowed with generations of growth
Bell’s Bridge and Lock 32
Gallen Village, bridge and rest area
Gallen Village bankside mooring area
Pollagh Village and Canal-Side facilities
Lock 31
Lock 30 and the canal manager’s house.
The canal-side facilities at Rahan Village and the Thatch pub – a former Williams branch shop
Ballycowan Castle of 1626 and beside it the Huband aqueduct dated to 1803. Huband was a barrister and a director of the Canal Company from 1777 for most of the years to 1835.
Srah Castle, Bridge and and the railway bridge
Sragh Bridge and Lock 28
Entering Tullamore at the Clara Road Lock 29
The spur from the canal main line to Tullamore Harbour
The canal side facilities in Tullamore Town
9. Memories
Memories of this trip are especially positive
The waterway was weed free with a good water level
The courtesy and efficiency of the water patrollers was first class
The lock landings were in a good condition
The lock operating systems all worked well
The lock surrounds were neat and well maintained
The lock keeper’s cottages were a joy to behold
Canal-side moorings and services were adequate and of their time
This month we begin a series of articles on the history and heritage of the Grand Canal in County Offaly that will run to upwards of 50 blog articles in 2024 and have its own platform on our website, http://www.offalyhistory.com. Our aim is to document the story of the course of the canal from the county boundary east of Edenderry to Shannon Harbour in the west. Today the Grand Canal is one of the greatest amenities that County Offaly possesses and we want to tell the story, and for readers to contribute by way of information and pictures. All the material will be open to be used on our website and the format will allow for editing to improve and to receive additional information from you the reader, which will be acknowledged. So Buen Camino as we make our journey through a quiet and well-watered land. The year 2024 marks the 120th anniversary of the completion of the Shannon Line at Shannon Harbour and may also see the completion of the canal greenway in this county.
Growing up on Clontarf Road, Tullamore, on the banks of the Grand Canal in the 1950s and 1960s I spent many childhood hours playing beside the canal. This was where my father’s family had lived for generations in East View Terrace before he and several of his siblings had acquired houses in Frank Gibney’s new state-of-the-art housing on Clontarf Road. In early teenage years I took to walking the canal line and ventured to Kilgortin Mill and Rahan, where my mother’s people, my grandfather and uncles and a multiplicity of cousins, lived. Not surprisingly the canal got under my skin if not indeed into my bloodstream.
Hiking west from Tullamore the ‘canal line’ took us to exotic locations: The Metal Railway Bridge and slow-moving trains, the inaccessible Srah Castle, Molloy’s Bridge for in-season snowdrops and horse chestnuts and the hugely impressive six-chimneyed Ballycowan Castle, overlooking the imperious and impervious Huband Aqueduct. Rambling east towards Cappancur we soon explored in detail the small aqueduct which seemingly miraculously ushered the Barony River under the canal and were further allured by the rotundity of Boland’s lockhouse and a lock manned by a team of sisters. Graduating to the bicycle we set out along the towpath for far-flung towns and villages: Ballycommon and the Wood-of-O, the Kilbeggan Branch, historic Daingean and the outré but warm and welcoming church at Pollagh.
Grand canal from the 27th lock at Cox’s Bridge, Tullamore about 1910(more…)
On the 29th March 1919, 20 IRA Volunteers escaped from Mountjoy jail in broad day light. This escape was planned by Michael Collins on the outside and Piaras Béaslaí on the inside. A prison strike had been taking place in the jail in support of four prisoners who were not being afforded political status. In the lead up to the escape this strike was halted because the escape plan had a better chance of success with a quieter atmosphere in the prison.
The plan was to get Piaras Béaslaí and JJ Murphy both MPs and Padraig Fleming a volunteer from the Swan, Co. Laois out, followed by the four prisoners not being afforded political status. A list of men with long sentences was created and it was decided that men serving short sentences or who had sentences close to completion would not escape. Padraig Fleming had conducted an extraordinary fight for treatment as a political prisoner in Maryborough (Portlaoise) jail, enduring hunger strike, torture and physical mistreatment for months. In Mountjoy he was the Officer Commanding the political prisoners.
The escape was planned for 3 p.m. on Saturday March 29th. On the previous Monday the four prisoners being denied political status broke away from the warders in charge of them and led them on a big chase around the field before being recaptured. As a result, they were kept in a metal cage for exercise and guarded by no less than eleven warders. If these precautions were continued their chances of escape were slight, while the presence of so many warders also presented a serious obstacle to the escape plan. On Fleming’s orders the four prisoners caused no more problems for the warders and the prison authorities were lulled into a false sense of security.
Brother Pat Guidera S.J. (born 1900, died 1992) was a familiar figure in Tullamore over a period of forty-two years from his transfer to Tullabeg College in 1948 up to its closure in 1990. Today the old college is falling to ruin. Many will recall its very good order up to the 1990s and thereafter it was used in part as a nursing home. Brother Guidera wrote a short ‘Story of my life’ in 1991 and this is an extract from that now very scarce memoir – of which there is a copy in Offaly Archives (courtesy of the Irish Jesuit Archives). The college was opened in 1818 and several volumes have been published on its history but few as intimate as that of Bro. Guidera. His memoir is interesting also for the marked distinctions in the religious orders between those fully ordained and those who were effectively providing support services in the college or convent. Brother Guidera was a carpenter cum painter and many will remember him carrying the usual large carton of cigarettes in the town for his colleagues in the college. His recollections of life in the Rahan area show the value of personal histories so why not give it a go.
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