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The Tuesday Night Club on Tour
Irish Summer Tour 2007
6 - Cavemount to Monasterevin - Grand Canal Shannon and Barrow Lines, inc Edenderry Branch, inc old Barrow Line.
Tuesday 26th June 2007
A reasonably early start at 07:40. At 10:00 we headed up the Edenderry
Branch, our first new bit of waterway so far on this trip. We had been warned not to overnight in Edenderry Basin as it is very exposed in the centre of town. We also found out that it is not that near food shops and has not got a working water tap! Anyway it is a superb location, a proper canal basin, right in the town.
11:05 saw us back on the main Shannon Line. We stopped for a diesel fill up at Lowtown Marine (14:50 - 15:15), this time filling all of the 20 litre Jerry cans, as we would not be getting more diesel until back from our Barrow exploits. We had intended to go up the Milltown Feeder, but we had been advised there was a weed "problem" up there and they were cutting the weeds for the next month.
We still went up the new Lock No 19 and started down the Barrow Line, using the Old Barrow
Line section, which incorporates the feed from Milltown and the old Lock No 19, which was restored in 1975. This section did not seem to have much use and was shallow, with many of the round stem water rushes clogging the channel. Having been helped through
Old Lock No 19 by a couple of old bods (friends of the lock keepers, I believe one was an old boatman) we hit the main Barrow Line of the Grand Canal at 14:25.
Just by the next bridge is Ballyteague Castle, another one tower ruin, so common in Ireland. Yet another rainstorm
occurred during our passage through the next two locks, 20 and 21, that are close together. The next section is embanked, with an aqueduct over a tributary of the River Slate, which the canal follows on the west side. Glenaree Lock No 22 and Bridge follows after a couple of miles. The next section is
quite exposed, with open, cut down woodland on the right hand (west) side. For another couple of miles the canal follows the River Slate, until Rathangan comes into view.
The town is mainly to the west, on the other bank of the River Slate and does not intrude on the canal. On the
approach to Rathangan Bridge there is a slipway on the towpath side. Just beyond Rathangan Bridge is a new footbridge and then the town visitor moorings. Soon the Spencer Double Lock No 23 came into view. Yet again there was no lock keeper about, so we left the locks empty, bottom and centre gates open, having done it "French / Irish" style. Just beyond Lock No 23 is the Canalways hire base and some towpath wharf moorings by a roofless old warehouse.
There is another couple of miles, dispersed with a couple of bridge, Wilson and Umeras, before the next Lock, Mcartney Double No 24 is reached. This is a nice spot, the old houses and cottages have all been done up, a couple sporting new thatched roofs. After Lock No 24 we decided not to carry on and moor up in Monasterevin as we did not need to eat out and did not know if there would be any moorings in the basin. Yet another of Ian Clarke's specialities, peppered steak, washed down with some decent red wine.
Looking back at the entrance over bridge, we have just entered the Edenderry
Arm. Grand Canal, Shannon Line.
Edenderry Arm. Grand Canal, Shannon Line.
Edenderry Arm. Looking back. Grand Canal, Shannon Line.
Edenderry Arm. Grand Canal, Shannon Line.
Approaching the basin. Edenderry Arm. Grand Canal, Shannon Line.
The basin at Edenderry. Edenderry Arm. Grand Canal, Shannon Line.
The basin at Edenderry. Edenderry Arm. Grand Canal, Shannon Line.
The basin at Edenderry. Edenderry Arm. Grand Canal, Shannon Line.
Edenderry. Grand Canal, Shannon Line.
The basin at Edenderry is raised up, to the left. Edenderry. Grand Canal,
Shannon Line.
Edenderry. Grand Canal, Shannon Line.
Looking back at Lock No 20. Grand Canal, Shannon Line.
The classic Bord Na Mona lifting bridge. Grand Canal, Shannon Line.
We have just turned up the Old Barrow Line from Lock No 19 (new). Grand Canal,
Old Barrow Line.
Grand Canal, Old Barrow Line.
Littletown Bridge. Grand Canal, Old Barrow Line.
Littletown. Grand Canal, Old Barrow Line.
Looking back at Littletown Bridge. Grand Canal, Old Barrow Line.
Grand Canal, Old Barrow Line.
Milltown Feeder off to the left, Old Lock No 19 in the distance. Grand Canal,
Old Barrow Line.
Huband / Green Bridge over the entrance to the Miltown Feeder. Grand Canal, Old
Barrow Line.
Old Lock No 19. Grand Canal, Old Barrow Line.
Old Lock No 19. Grand Canal, Old Barrow Line.
Old Lock No 19 does not see a lot of use! Grand Canal, Old Barrow Line.
Old Lock No 19 in the distance, the new Barrow Line comes in from the left.
Grand Canal.
Ballyteague Castle and Bridge. Grand Canal, Barrow Line.
Grand Canal, Barrow Line.
Lock No 20. Grand Canal, Barrow Line.
Lock No 20. Grand Canal, Barrow Line.
Leaving Lock No 20 in the peeing rain. Grand Canal, Barrow Line.
Lock No 21 in the peeing rain! Grand Canal, Barrow Line.
Looking back at Lock No 21. Grand Canal, Barrow Line.
Aqueduct below Lock No 21. Grand Canal, Barrow Line.
Aqueduct below Lock No 21. Grand Canal, Barrow Line.
Glenaree Lock No 22. Grand Canal, Barrow Line.
Grand Canal, Barrow Line.
Ian Clarke tries his "Miserable Narrowboater" pose, so beloved by the
Thames cruiser owners! Grand Canal, Barrow Line.
Slipway just above Rathangan Bridge. Grand Canal, Barrow Line.
New footbridge and visitor moorings in Rathangan. Grand Canal, Barrow Line.
Double Lock No 23 in Rathangan. Grand Canal, Barrow Line.
We do Double Lock No 23, the Irish / French way! Rathangan. Grand Canal, Barrow
Line.
Looking back at Spencer Bridge and Double Lock No 23. Canalways hire base is on
the right. Rathangan. Grand Canal, Barrow Line.
Looking back at Wilson Bridge. Grand Canal, Barrow Line.
Umeras Bridge. Grand Canal, Barrow Line.
Macartney Double Lock No 24. Grand Canal, Barrow Line.
Macartney Double Lock No 24. Grand Canal, Barrow Line.
The newly restored thatch cottages at Macartney Double Lock No 24. Grand Canal,
Barrow Line.
Macartney Double Lock No 24. Grand Canal, Barrow Line.
Macartney Bridge and Double Lock No 24. Grand Canal, Barrow Line.
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