Indicated

Described as an 'old deserted canal' accompanied by a laneway or towpath (RO007-011002-) on an undated Longfield map in NLI (ms. 21. F. 44 (40)), it is not marked on any ed. of the OS 6-inch map, although its line is indicated on the 1837 ed. Situated on the floodplain of the River Shannon, avoiding or by-passing shallows on that river. The canal (original L c. 2km) ran from just below Battle Bridge to a point just above Inishnagon island, Co. Leitrim, and it was replaced by the present Lough Allen canal on the Leitrim side in the 1850s. The canal was c. 100-200m from the river and has largely been filled in, but an extensive grass and reed-covered section (L c. 700m; Wth 8-11m; D 0.2-0.9m) survives at its N end. There is no clear evidence of the towpath. This is probably the work begun by Col. Charles Tarrant after 1787 but never completed. (Delaney 1992, 52) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 24 August 2010