royal canal

Extending 90 miles (145 km) from Dublin to Tarmonbarry on the Upper River Shannon, the Royal Canal, a canal of forty-six locks, traverses a delightfully scenic route through Counties Longford, Westmeath, Meath, Kildare and Dublin. Unfortunately, the beauty of its journey failed to compensate for its lack of commercial viability. The canal was built by a disgruntled former director of the Grand Canal Company whose aim was to undermine the more successful venture of his former company. His gamble failed. The Royal Canal cost £15,000 per mile to construct (more than twice the cost of its rival) and completely bankrupted its originator as well as a number of small investors. Eventually, having reached a point west of Mullingar, County Westmeath the funds dried up. The Government had to finance the cost of completing the work as far as the Shannon. Never very successful, in 1845 the canal was sold to the Midland and Great Western Railway Company which used the land along the canal banks for their railway from Dublin to the west.