Grand Canal

The Grand Canal is the southernmost of a pair of canals that connect Dublin, in the east of Ireland, with the River Shannon in the west, via Tullamore and a number of other villages and towns, the two canals nearly encircling Dublin's inner city. Its sister canal on the Northside of Dublin is the Royal Canal. The last working cargo barge passed through the Grand Canal in 1960. Branches Main line from Grand Canal Harbour near St. James's Gate to Shannon Harbour in County Offaly. Most of the Dublin City section of the route is now used by the Luas. While this section was in use, the canal from Crumlin to the Liffey in Ringsend Basin, which forms part of the current main line, was considered to be a branch. It was a later add-on and was known as the Circular Line. Naas/Corbally Navigable to Naas, but a low bridge prevents access to Corbally Barrow, joining the River Barrow at Athy Milltown feeder The Mountmellick Line, which left the Barrow Line at Monasterevin and passed through Portarlington (abandoned) Blackwood feeder (abandoned) Lough Boora feeder (abandoned) Kilbeggan (abandoned) Ballinasloe (starting on the far side of the River Shannon from Shannon Harbour; abandoned and now used by Bord na Móna industrial railway) History