News today from Waterways Ireland about Lowtown, the highest point on the Grand Canal (almost) and the junction between the Barrow Line and the Main Line.
Waterways Ireland’s work to redevelop the moorings and other amenities on the Grand Canal and Old Barrow Line at Lowtown, Co Kildare is nearing completion and will be opened shortly.
Waterways Ireland had already provided a new amenity block including toilets and showers at the area and has gone on to add extensive facilities for both touring boats and boats wishing to take an Extended Mooring. 350 meters of fixed timber mooring have been installed all of which have water & lighting and a proportion also have electricity.
On the Old Barrow Line and Grand Canal Main Line 100m and 80m respectively of fixed timber moorings, have been constructed with service bollards providing lighting and water.
Additionally on the Grand Canal Main Line 170m of fixed timber moorings have been constructed on the with service bollards providing electricity, lighting and water. The electricity provision is operated by smart card available from the Waterways Ireland webshop shopwaterwaysireland.org . Waterways Ireland has also constructed a dedicated parking area and bin area for boats using the long term facility.
A proportion of the moorings on the Grand Canal Main Line are being set aside for Extended Mooring Permit holders. The remainder will be for visiting boats displaying a valid Combined Mooring and Passage Permit (CMP) and following the 5 day mooring rule laid down in the Bye-laws. The balance between touring and extended moorings will be determined by the level of approved applications for Extended Mooring Permits.
The works, designed by Waterways Ireland and undertaken by LM Keating, Co Clare also included the construction of a canal overflow on the Grand Canal at Derrymullen in order to assist with the management of water levels.
There were even photos.
Old Barrow Line
Main Line
Very nice, but I don’t like those cleats. Imagine trying to spring a barge off using them ….
Anyway, readers will be most interested in the news that this is another L & M Keating project. I’m not clear on exactly where the overflow is, but Derrymullen is the general area (you can see most of the name on the map below) and I suspect the overflow will have been directed towards the Slate River or the White Eye feeder, both of which pass under the canal.
Lowtown and Derrymullen (OSI ~1900)
The River Slate
The White Eye feeder and the overflow linking it to the Slate
WI’s notice about the final batch of moorings is now up here.
[l&mk51]
Irish waterways history 