313 



naglier, this ford must have been the main pass between the 

 northern portion of the county of Clare, and the southern 

 portion of the county of Galway, with the counties of Tip- 

 perary, King's County, &c. &c. Hence it is probable that at 

 a former period the ford at Keelogue, which is the shal- 

 lowest on the river, and much better than that of Banagher, 

 was the principal point of communication between the dis- 

 tricts above enumerated ; and even in modern times, in com- 

 mon with the passes by the bridges of Banagher, Shannon 

 Bridge, and Athlone, the defence of the pass at Keelogue 

 and Meelick was considered of sufficient importance to induce 

 the British Government to erect two towers, mounted with 

 cannon, on the King's County side, to guard the passes of 

 the river from the west. 



The fall of the river Shannon at Keelogue and Meelick 

 amounts to ten feet ; and to I'ender the river navigable, the 

 commissioners appointed to direct the improvements of the 

 navigation of the Shannon, have agreed with contractors for 

 the construction of a lock of very large dimensions, a stone 

 weir to regulate the discharge and the level of the water, 

 and for the deepening of the river at Keelogue ford, by ex- 

 cavating the bed to the depth of six feet below the present 

 bottom, so as to give a depth of full seven feet six inches for 

 navigation when the works shall have been completed. 



Towards deepening this ford the contractors dammed off 

 a portion of the river 100 feet in width, and 700 feet in length, 

 and have commenced an excavation of nearly six feet in 

 depth ; the material to be excavated consisted at the top of 

 two feet of gravel, loose stone, and sand, and at the bottom 

 of four feet of a mass, composed of clay and rolled limestone, 

 which in some parts was found to be so solid and compact, 

 that it became necessary to blast it with gunpowdei*, in 

 preference to excavating, according to the ordinary system, 

 through detrital matter. 



This compound of clay and rolled limestone, and hme- 



