The Grand Canal: Dublin to the Shannon

Waterways Ireland runs this day: the city passage is arranged in advance as one movement in a single day, with water patrollers to see you through, and Lock 12 takes no more than two boats a day. Email the Eastern Regional Office (dublincanals@waterwaysireland.org, +353 1 868 0148) at least two working days ahead; its canal page still asks three days' notice for locks 1 to 12, so book early. You pass under the Ringsend railway bridge, at 2.45 m the canal's lowest, climb the seven Circular Line locks past Patrick Kavanagh's statue at Baggot Street, then main-line locks 1 to 12. We have not checked a berth above the 12th Lock: agree with the office where you will stop for the night.

The rural canal begins at Lucan, and so does the Grand Canal Way, a 117 km towpath trail that keeps you company all the way to Shannon Harbour. At Hazelhatch, a road bridge with a pub and a main-line station of 1846, there is usually a line of moored boats, so pass slowly; the station makes it an easy place to swap crew. Locks 13 to 15 bring you to Sallins, which has about 255 m of visitor jetties with lights, water taps and a pump-out you pay for as you use it. Lock 13, Kildare's first brewpub, overlooks the water and brews its own beer, and Sallins & Naas station is about five minutes' walk away.

In the morning, walk out along the towpath to the Leinster Aqueduct, where the canal crosses the Liffey on stone arches of the 1780s, and look at the 18th-century dry dock near the start of the path to Naas. The Naas Branch leaves the main line just west of the village and climbs five locks in about 4 km. IWAI volunteers campaigned for years until it reopened in 1987, with Naas Harbour following in 2002. The sheltered basin lies beside the restored Canal Stores, a few minutes from Kildare's largest town, and the Naas Historic Trail leads from the harbour to the 17th-century ruin of Jigginstown. Beyond the basin a culvert under the R445 ends the navigation.

Back down the five branch locks to the main line, then west through locks 16 to 18 onto the summit level, 85 m above the sea. It is a longer day than it looks, because eight locks take time, so start early. Robertstown was laid out along the canal after it arrived in 1784, and its waterfront is still dominated by the Grand Canal Hotel, built in 1801 for passengers travelling on to Dublin, Waterford and Galway, later a constabulary barracks and now a community centre. Boats moor in the village harbour, which has a public slipway, and the community is restoring the 1928 trading barge 52M. The Barrow Way and the Grand Canal Way meet here.

A kilometre west, Lowtown is the junction with the Barrow Line at Lock 19. Its visitor jetties have water, lights, some shore power, a pump-out and a service block with toilets and showers; ask before tying up in the private marina basin beside them. In the dry summer of 2026 Locks 19 and 20 opened only with a patroller (Marine Notice 88/2026): ring the locks 19–20 patroller (+353 87 245 6531) before setting off. Allenwood, just beyond, has a café-bar and a shop. Then the canal crosses the Bog of Allen, and a short branch leads to Edenderry Harbour near the town centre. Near the Blundell Aqueduct the bank burst in 1989, draining some 29 km of canal.

A long day of about eight and a half hours: leave as early as daylight allows. We have not checked a mooring at Daingean or anywhere else on this stretch, so this plan does not stop overnight; if you know of a safe public berth on the way, split the day there. Daingean was Philipstown, the county town, until 1835, and the canal first opened to it in 1797. The canal made Tullamore a busy market and distilling town. Visiting boats tie up on the hard-edged moorings of the short spur line to the walled old harbour, still Waterways Ireland's depot. The Tullamore D.E.W. distillery at Clonminch, a short drive away, runs tours all year; book ahead.

The other long day, nearly ten hours, again with no checked mooring. About 4 km west of the town stands Ballycowan Castle, a fortified house of 1589, then comes Rahan, whose monastic site of St Carthage is a short walk from the canal. At Pollagh the canal runs about 15 km without a lock between the 31st and 32nd locks, and St Mary's Church has a bog-oak altar. Belmont, the 33rd, is a double lock: work one chamber at a time (patroller for locks 32–34: +353 87 245 6609). Shannon Harbour moorings lie between Griffith Bridge and the 35th Lock, below the roofless Grand Hotel of 1806, with toilets, showers and a laundry, and McIntyre's pub serving food at weekends.