CANALS. 109 



After this general introduction to the history of Irish canals and inland 

 waterways, some details of the course and development of the leading routes 

 may be given. A reference to the accompanying map will show, at a 

 glance, that there are in Ireland two main systems of waterw^ays, viz., what 

 may be called the " Northern Navigation System " and " The Midland 

 and Southern Navigation System." As regards the former, starting from 

 Coleraine, we find the Bann Navigation extending to and through Lough 

 Neagh, into w^hich converge the Lagan Navigation from the east, the Newry 

 Navigation from the south-east, and the Tyrone Navigation from the west. 

 After the junction of these navigations, the line of communication proceeds 

 in a south-westerly direction by means of the Ulster Canal to Upper Lough 

 Erne. After passing through that lough, which affords another branch 

 navigation (northward) past Enniskillen to Belleek on the Lower Lough, 

 the line is continued by the BalHnamore and Ballyconnell Canal as far as the 

 Shannon, a little above Carrick. 



The Royal Canal and the Grand Canal, in conjunction with the Barrow 

 Navigation, may be said to form the Midland and Southern Navigation 

 System of Ireland. These navigations are connected with the River 

 Shannon, and, therefore, provide a line of communication by water from 

 Dublin, and from important places in the Midland and South-eastern coun- 

 ties, not only to the western districts, but also to the North of Ireland. 

 There are, of course, other important separate navigations such as the 

 Boyne Navigation, the Lough Corrib Navigation, the Maigue Navigation 

 and the Suir Navigation, which, however, cannot be said to form part of any 

 continuous system. The province of Munster is, it will be noted, curiously 

 deficient in canals. 



The Royal Canal was commenced by a private company towards the 

 end of the last century, assisted by grants from the 

 Thp Roval Pa 1 ^^i^^^ Parliament. It was subsequently taken up by 

 ^ ' the Directors-General of Navigation, and completed 



by them about the year 1822, when from first to last it 

 had absorbed something over i^ 1,400,000, of which ;^3 59,7/6 had been con- 

 tributed out of public funds. The first Royal Canal Company was incorpo- 

 rated in 1789. It received before the year 1800 grants of public money to 

 the extent of ;^84,000, and from the Union to 1813, further grants of 

 ;^87,692. On inquiries before the Committees of the House of Commons 

 in 181 1 and 1813, it appeared that the Company had expended on making 

 forty-six miles of the canal from Dublin to Coolnahay, £"704,877 ; of this, 

 ;£ 171,692 had been granted as already mentioned. To provide the balance, 

 and to pay the dividends and interest, which had been paid out of capital to 

 an extent ascertained to exceed ^^369,231, the Company had borrowed up- 

 wards of ^^73 8,462, and raised on share capital ;;^276,923. In 18 10 the Com- 

 pany had a gross income of only /fi 3,868, and a net income, after providing 

 for maintenance and establishment charges, of only ^^3,8 13, to meet an 

 annual charge for interest of ^^45,806. Upon the representation of the 

 Committee of 181 3 as to the insolvent state of the Company's affairs, the 

 charter was forfeited and the property transferred to the Directors-General 

 of Inland Navigation in Ireland, who expended, between 181 5 and 1822, 

 £iS2,S^i of public money in completing the canal from the summit level to 

 the Shannon. In 181 8 the holders of debentures issued by the dissolved 

 Royal Canal Company were constituted the shareholders in the new Royal 



