114 CANALS. 



tion on the part of the local tax-payers to support it. The canal has, how- 

 ever, a completely different aspect when viewed as a drainage work. The 

 evidence is unanimous that, for drainage purposes it is most valuable, and 

 that it is of great importance that it should be maintained as an arterial 

 drain." 



The River Shannon, whose total length is 254 miles, rises in Cuilca 

 Mountain in Cavan county, passes southward through 

 The Shannon Leitrim, and thence between Connaught and Leinster 

 Navigation. and Connaught and Munster to Limerick, forming in 



its course several large lakes, the principal of which 

 are Loughs Allen, Ree, and Derg, and turning westward discharges itself 

 into the Atlantic through a large estuary between the counties of Clare and 

 Kerry. Previous to 1831 the Shannon Navigation appears to have been 

 under the control of three distinct bodies, viz., the Lower Shannon under the 

 Limerick Navigation Company ; the Middle Shannon under the Grand 

 Canal Company ; and the Upper Shannon under the Directors of Inland 

 Navigation. ■ On the powers of the Directors of Inland Navigation being, 

 by Act of that year (i & 2 W. IV., c 33), transferred to the Board of Public 

 Works, the Upper Shannon was handed over to the Board. The naviga- 

 tion appears to have remained under a divided control, that is, partly in 

 pubHc hands, and partly in private hands, till 1839. It was taken over by the 

 Board of Works in 1850 (see footnote, p. 108). 



The navigation is open for traffic throughout its entire length, between 

 the northern extremity of Lough Allen and Limerick, a distance of 143 

 miles in a direct course ; but by adding the Boyle branch of nine miles and 

 the Strokestown branch of six miles, a total length of river and canal navi- 

 gation of 158 miles is now open ; of which 129 miles, viz., from Killaloe to 

 Leitrim, including the two branches above mentioned, are suited to the 

 navigation of large steamers. In the main river of 1 1 5 miles the entire fall 

 amounts only to 35 feet, which has been overcome by the erection of five 

 locks. This important navigation, which occupies nearly a central position 

 between the east and west coasts of Ireland, is connected with Dublin by 

 means of the Grand and Royal Canals. The cost of the Shannon works 

 was defrayed — ^^"272,789 from local taxes, and £^410,523 from general taxes. 

 The amount of rents, tolls, etc., received in the year ended 31st March, 1877, 

 was ;;^5,372, and the expenditure amounted to ^^5,362, including ;^3,i75 in 

 works. 



The Grand Canal Company plies over the most extensive waterway in 

 the United Kingdom, owning a canal system reaching 



Til r AT 1 froni Dublin southwards to New Ross in Wexford, 



ine trrana oanai. ^^^ westwards to the Shannon. From thence its 

 traffic is carried over the latter navigation to Limerick 

 in the south-west, and northwards to Carrick-on-Shannon in Leitrim. 

 Nearly all the freight is carried in the Company's own boats, and though 

 directly competing with railways over almost the whole distance, yet it has 

 proved that with good management canals are capable of yielding fair 

 profits in Ireland even through districts devoid for the most part of manu- 

 facturing centres or mineral products. 



The Grand Canal proceeds from the south of Dublin westward to the 

 Shannon at Shannon Harbour, and thence on the other side of the Shannon 



