Ballyteague Locks

Soon after leaving the Grand Canal main line at Lowtown and passing the old 19th lock, the Barrow Line drops through Locks 20 and 21 near Ballyteague. Since Marine Notice 88 of July 2026, issued to save water in a long dry spell and to prevent misuse, these two chambers and Lock 23 at Rathangan may only be worked by Waterways Ireland staff: check whether the notice still applies, and phone the patroller well ahead (number on the Barrow boater information page). Otherwise they are ordinary canal locks, 18.5 m long, for which you need your own lock key, good ropes and, since April 2026, a lifejacket for everyone working the boat. The country is open bog and farmland; on the west bank stand the remains of Ballyteague Castle, a medieval tower house on the old frontier of the Pale. Rathangan is about 9 km further on.