Won't be restored in a hurry

Published: Monday, 19 July 2010

Concerning the anglers halting the restoration of Lock 3 on the Lagan Canal, David Davis writes that sadly he can't see the full Lagan Navigation being restored in a hurry—as in the 1950s they used its route to build about 10 miles of the M1 motorway!

About half the Lagan was canalised, and a further cut made on into Lough Neagh, which served as a four way canal hub, and from there you could cruise inland to almost any other port in Ireland (Dublin, Newry, Limerick, Waterford.....) Splendid stuff before it all became derelict and unnavigable.

10 miles of river

Although there's a study claiming an alternative route is possible—however that proposal involves canalising 10 more miles of river: you can imagine what the anglers would have to say about that!

Quite what their problem is about Lock 3, I can't imagine. I was there last Christmas and it was a silted up, clogged muddy ditch, barely in water—hardly a haven for fish.

Improve the habitat

I would have thought a nice deep clean lock, restoring the canal to water, would improve the habitat!

Anyways the good news is that the Republic of Ireland, who take much better care of their waterways, are re-opening the remaining length of the Royal Canal within weeks, making for an excellent new cruising ring through central ireland (Dublin, Royal Canal, Shannon and Grand Canal back to Dublin).