Strabane Canal, River Foyle, Burn Dennett, 6 Nov 2016, Remastered v3 Short
Strabane Canal
The Strabane Canal was conceived by the Marquess of Abercorn as a way of encouraging industrial and commercial development in Strabane and its immediate surroundings, most of which was within his estates. An Act of Parliament was obtained to authorise the construction of the 6.4 kilometre (4.0 mi) canal, although the land required for the canal was bought by the Marquess's agents by agreement with the owners, and the project, which cost £11,858, was privately funded by the Marquess, assisted by a loan of £3,703 from the Irish Parliament. The canal ran from the tidal waters of Lough Foyle at Leck, some 16 kilometres (9.9 miles) upstream from Derry, to Strabane. It left the Foyle just above its junction with the Burn Dennett River (the Dennet), to enter Crampsie's Lock. The main water supply was from a stream which entered the canal above Devine's Lock, the only other lock built.
Construction began in late 1791, with John Whally of Coleraine acting as engineer, after the plans had been inspected by Richard Owen, then working on the extension of the Lagan Canal from Lisburn to Lough Neagh. Most of the canal was completed within a year, but construction of the locks and the junction with the Foyle took much longer, and was finally finished in 1795. An official opening took place on 21 March 1796, amidst great celebrations. The "respectable inhabitants" ate at the Abercorn's Arms, and proposed many toasts, while ale was supplied to the general populace, and there were bonfires and illuminations.
Operation
The locks were designed to accommodate sea-going schooners, capable of carrying 300 tons of cargo. Devine's lock was 108 by 23 feet (32.9 by 7.0 m), with 7 feet (2.1 m) of water over the cill, while Campsie's Lock was 117 by 24 feet (35.7 by 7.3 m), with a depth of 6.5 feet (2.0 m). Tolls were collected by the Marquess's agents, at a flat rate of two shillings (10p) per ton. An upstream trade in coal, timber, hardware and foodstuffs developed, although there was dissatisfaction with the tolls, which were considered by the merchants to be too high and unreasonable. Traffic from Strabane to Derry developed more slowly, but a trade in agricultural produce gradually increased. Lighters were towed by a steam tug to the entrance of the canal, while horses provided the power for the journey up to Strabane.
From 1820, a group of local people leased the canal from the Marquess, and continued to run it successfully. 583 lighters made the journey between Strabane and Derry in 1836, carrying a total of 10,535 tons, most of which was grain. A number of warehouses, grain stores and wharves were built along the banks at Strabane Basin. The canal brought considerable prosperity to Strabane and to Lifford in the first quarter of the nineteenth century and the towns became flourishing markets for agricultural produce. However, in 1847 a railway opened from Derry to Strabane, which was extended to Omagh in 1852, and a network of connecting railways soon developed. The effect on the canal was dramatic, and the canal was soon in financial difficulties. The canal company which had leased the canal for the last 40 years was wound up in 1860, to be replaced by the Strabane Steam Navigation Company. Although traffic remained at about 20,000 tons until the end of the century, this generated between £2,000 and £3,000 of income, and by the time operating costs and the lease were paid, the net annual revenue was always below £300. The new company was also wound up, to be replaced by the Strabane Canal Company in 1890, who took out a 31-year lease at £300 per year.
In 1888, the Railway & Canal Traffic Act had made it compulsory for every public company to notify the Board of Trade of their rates and charges. The Board of Trade had powers to set new rates if they did not approve of the existing rates. The Strabane Canal Company argued that it was a private company, and therefore exempt from the Act, while the Duke of Abercorn, who owned the canal, appealed to the House of Lords. Lieutenant-Colonel Addison was duly despatched from the Board of Trade to inspect the canal and the affairs of the company in 1898. Despite local allegations that the canal was unnavigable, and the findings of Addison that the east bank needed to be strengthened, the channel was shallow in places, and the gates needed to be repaired, he ruled that the canal was still navigable. However, the operating company was deemed to be a public company, to whom the 1888 Act applied, and the tonnage rate was reduced to 6d (2 1/2p) per ton by the Board of Trade, one quarter of the rate that had previously been charged.
Decline
Conditions continued to decline. The water was less than 2 feet (0.61 m) deep along much of the canal, as over 2 miles (3.2 km) of the east bank required repairs to make it watertight, and the lock gates leaked. Shoals and sandbanks had developed in the Foyle below the entrance to the canal, as a result of the failure of the Derry authorities to dredge the channel. Whereas coasters had been able to reach Strabane in the early years of the canal, this was no longer possible, since the construction of the Carlisle Bridge in Derry in the 1860s and a bridge carrying the narrow gauge Donegal Railway over the canal below Strabane Basin. Previously, the only bridges over the canal had been two wooden swing bridges, which allowed the passage of boats with masts or funnels. Despite the fact that lighters could only complete the journey if half full, trade continued, with Smyth's grain mill generating up to half the trade. Within the Strabane Basin, there were two saw mills, a tannery, a brewery and repair shops and docks which were used to service the lighters. A little further down, coal was unloaded to supply the gas works, where a jetty had been built into the canal.
When the narrow-gauge railway had been opened in 1900, it had been expected to provide competition for the existing line, but in practice, the two companies agreed rates, because the canal was still offering some competition. In 1910, carriage of foodstuffs and manure was still cheaper by water, and the canal basin was much nearer the town centre than the railway station. James McFarland, who had been the principal shareholder in the Canal Company since 1890, died around this time, and the lack of good management led to further decline. In 1912, the canal was bought from the Duke by the Strabane and Foyle Navigation Company Limited. The main shareholder was William Smyth, who owned the mill at Strabane (Smyth’s Mill), but despite attempts to improve the navigable depth of the canal, and the acquisition of a steam tug to tow the barges along the canal, traffic did not recover, and ceased in the early 1930s. Attempts were made to abandon the canal from 1944, and the section between Strabane and the swing bridge at Dysert was finally abandoned in 1962. The rest officially remained open.
Towpath
In June 2006 the Strabane Lifford Development Commission paid for a £1.3m cross-border waterways restoration contract. The project was launched by President of Ireland, Mary McAleese, in Lifford and intended to restore the 2.4 km (1.5 mi) of canal and two locks to working order.
The two sets of locks were restored but the construction work on the canal channel was of a poor standard.
This work also included the building of a footbridge, which when completed did not satisfy the council’s health and safety requirements and so the project stagnated.
On 4th June 2012, Strabane District Council announced that the canal towpath would be opened on a temporary basis for walkers, runners and cyclists to avail of during the summer. A considerable amount of redevelopment has taken place to restore this part of the canal and it is envisaged that parking and toilet facilities will also be developed later that year.
The Foyle Canoe Trail will also be enhanced through the construction of three canoe ramps along the reopened stretch of canal. This work will be carried out as part of the Interreg IVA Programme for Rural Development and Priority Co-operation for a sustainable cross border region.
To get there, drive down the Greenlaw Road from the centre of Ballymagorry village towards the Foyle and there's a small parking area at the end of that road at Devine's Lock. There are a couple of blind corners on the narrow Greenlaw Road, so care is needed.
Lighters
A lighter is a type of flat-bottomed barge used to transfer goods and passengers to and from moored ships. Lighters were traditionally unpowered and were moved and steered using long oars called "sweeps" and the motive power of water currents. The term is also used in the Lighter Aboard Ship (LASH) system.
Coasters
Coastal trading vessels, also known as coasters, are shallow-hulled ships used for trade between locations on the same island or continent. Their shallow hulls mean that they can get through reefs where deeper-hulled seagoing ships usually cannot. Coasters can load and unload cargo in shallow ports.
Port Hall House & Michael Priestley
If walking the banks of the River Foyle look out for Port Hall House, Ballindrait, a fine Georgian house on the Donegal side of the river. This small-scale Palladian country house dates from 1746 is arguably the finest building in its type and date in Donegal. It is built to a symmetrical style with central pedimented breakfront having Diocletian window openings. Gibbs surrounds to the openings and centring on a bold classical door case. It was built for John Vaughan of Buncrana Castle as a convenient base for when the Grand Jury was in session at Lifford. Both the courthouse in Lifford and Port Hall House display the carved coat of arms of George ll over their main doorway.
The architect was Michael Priestley and the list of other structures attributed to this man is impressive. In 1774, the nephew of Thomas Connolly, M.P. and Speaker of the Irish House of Commons (1715-1729), is said to have commissioned Priestley to build Lifford House, which became the base for the Grand Jury during the Lifford Assizes. We know it today as the Gateway Hotel. Other famous buildings connected to him include Dunmore House, Carrigans; Prehen House, Co. Derry; Strabane Town Hall; Church of St. John, Clondehorky; Bishop Barnard’s Chapel of Ease and Palace, Derry; Strabane canal and new street layout for the Earl of Abercorn; Boom Hall, Co. Derry; and last but not least, a remodelling of the Bishop’s Palace, Raphoe. Considering that “in the mid-18th century there were very few native architects practising in Ireland as a whole, whilst fewer still in the more remote areas”, Michael Priestley certainly left his mark in this part of the world.
Despite his contribution to the history of Lifford and surrounding area, Michael Priestley remains a bit of a mystery. One of the trustees, Nathaniel Nesbitt, thought him “a plain man, no great drawer of estimates, his skill lies mainly in his practice”. For the period, he is regarded as the “one figure who stands out with an identifiable style and artistic personality”. Yet we don’t even know the dates and places of his birth and death. His impact on the Lifford area, however, is undeniable and it is here that the Courthouse plays a crucial role. It is the only building in Ireland we know for certain to be Priestley’s work and because “it embodies in one façade many of the elements so characteristic of the work of the architect…it provides an essential reference which enables us to ascribe to him with confidence, further buildings in the region”.
Anthony Marreco (26th August 1915 – 4th June 2006)
Port Hall was owned by Anthony Marreco from 1956 until the 1983. He had a strong interest in building conservation and carefully repaired and conserved Port Hall during the 1960s. This important building is one of the most significant elements of the built heritage of Donegal, and forms the centrepiece of a group of related structures along with the warehouses to the rear, the walled garden to the south, and the other surviving elements to site.
River Foyle
The River Foyle (from Irish: an Feabhal) is a river in the northwest of the island of Ireland, which flows from the confluence of the rivers Finn and Mourne at the towns of Lifford in County Donegal, Republic of Ireland, and Strabane in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. From here it flows to the city of Derry, where it discharges into Lough Foyle and, ultimately, the Atlantic Ocean. The total length of the River Foyle is 129 km (80 miles). The river separates part of County Donegal from parts of both County Londonderry and County Tyrone. The district of County Donegal that borders the western bank of the River Foyle is traditionally known as the Laggan Valley. This district includes the villages of St. Johnston and Carrigans, both of which are nestled on the banks of the river.
Fishing
Prior to the Plantation of Ulster the fishing rights on the River would have been owned by the O’Neills and the O’Donnells, the Chieftains of Tír Eoghain and Donegal respectively. When the Plantation of Ulster started in 1609 a body called The Honourable The Irish Society had been set up by Royal Charter in 1613 to administer the affairs of the Plantation. The Society was then given the rights to the fishing on the river and on the River Bann, all except the parts of the rivers owned by the Bishop of Derry. In 1944 an action for trespass was taken by the Society against a fisherman from Porthall who they deemed to be fishing illegally. The case was heard by Mr Justice George Gavan Duffy in the high court in Dublin during 1947/48. The case was dismissed against the man. The Society then appealed the decision and also appealed to both Northern and Southern Governments at losing the case. Both Governments agreed to buy the fishing rights for the sum of £110,280 on condition that they drop the appeal. This led to the establishment of a commission to oversee the fishing on the river and on Lough Foyle. The body set up was called the Foyle Fisheries Commission and was established by a Bill passed simultaneously by the Governments of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland on 25 March 1952. The Foyle Fisheries Commission was disestablished on 10 April 2007 with the signing of the Foyle & Carlingford Fisheries Act 2007. The Foyle is believed to be one of the best salmon rivers in Ireland and is now managed by the Loughs Agency of the Foyle, Carlingford and Irish Lights Commission (FCILC).
Details of the fishing regulations are available from the Loughs Agency Website.
Strabane Canal, River Foyle, Burn Dennett, 6 Nov 2016, Remastered v3 Short
Strabane Canal
The Strabane Canal was conceived by the Marquess of Abercorn as a way of encouraging industrial and commercial development in Strabane and its immediate surroundings, most of which was within his estates. An Act of Parliament was obtained to authorise the construction of the 6.4 kilometre (4.0 mi) canal, although the land required for the canal was bought by the Marquess's agents by agreement with the owners, and the project, which cost £11,858, was privately funded by the Marquess, assisted by a loan of £3,703 from the Irish Parliament. The canal ran from the tidal waters of Lough Foyle at Leck, some 16 kilometres (9.9 miles) upstream from Derry, to Strabane. It left the Foyle just above its junction with the Burn Dennett River (the Dennet), to enter Crampsie's Lock. The main water supply was from a stream which entered the canal above Devine's Lock, the only other lock built.
Construction began in late 1791, with John Whally of Coleraine acting as engineer, after the plans had been inspected by Richard Owen, then working on the extension of the Lagan Canal from Lisburn to Lough Neagh. Most of the canal was completed within a year, but construction of the locks and the junction with the Foyle took much longer, and was finally finished in 1795. An official opening took place on 21 March 1796, amidst great celebrations. The "respectable inhabitants" ate at the Abercorn's Arms, and proposed many toasts, while ale was supplied to the general populace, and there were bonfires and illuminations.
Operation
The locks were designed to accommodate sea-going schooners, capable of carrying 300 tons of cargo. Devine's lock was 108 by 23 feet (32.9 by 7.0 m), with 7 feet (2.1 m) of water over the cill, while Campsie's Lock was 117 by 24 feet (35.7 by 7.3 m), with a depth of 6.5 feet (2.0 m). Tolls were collected by the Marquess's agents, at a flat rate of two shillings (10p) per ton. An upstream trade in coal, timber, hardware and foodstuffs developed, although there was dissatisfaction with the tolls, which were considered by the merchants to be too high and unreasonable. Traffic from Strabane to Derry developed more slowly, but a trade in agricultural produce gradually increased. Lighters were towed by a steam tug to the entrance of the canal, while horses provided the power for the journey up to Strabane.
From 1820, a group of local people leased the canal from the Marquess, and continued to run it successfully. 583 lighters made the journey between Strabane and Derry in 1836, carrying a total of 10,535 tons, most of which was grain. A number of warehouses, grain stores and wharves were built along the banks at Strabane Basin. The canal brought considerable prosperity to Strabane and to Lifford in the first quarter of the nineteenth century and the towns became flourishing markets for agricultural produce. However, in 1847 a railway opened from Derry to Strabane, which was extended to Omagh in 1852, and a network of connecting railways soon developed. The effect on the canal was dramatic, and the canal was soon in financial difficulties. The canal company which had leased the canal for the last 40 years was wound up in 1860, to be replaced by the Strabane Steam Navigation Company. Although traffic remained at about 20,000 tons until the end of the century, this generated between £2,000 and £3,000 of income, and by the time operating costs and the lease were paid, the net annual revenue was always below £300. The new company was also wound up, to be replaced by the Strabane Canal Company in 1890, who took out a 31-year lease at £300 per year.
In 1888, the Railway & Canal Traffic Act had made it compulsory for every public company to notify the Board of Trade of their rates and charges. The Board of Trade had powers to set new rates if they did not approve of the existing rates. The Strabane Canal Company argued that it was a private company, and therefore exempt from the Act, while the Duke of Abercorn, who owned the canal, appealed to the House of Lords. Lieutenant-Colonel Addison was duly despatched from the Board of Trade to inspect the canal and the affairs of the company in 1898. Despite local allegations that the canal was unnavigable, and the findings of Addison that the east bank needed to be strengthened, the channel was shallow in places, and the gates needed to be repaired, he ruled that the canal was still navigable. However, the operating company was deemed to be a public company, to whom the 1888 Act applied, and the tonnage rate was reduced to 6d (2 1/2p) per ton by the Board of Trade, one quarter of the rate that had previously been charged.
Decline
Conditions continued to decline. The water was less than 2 feet (0.61 m) deep along much of the canal, as over 2 miles (3.2 km) of the east bank required repairs to make it watertight, and the lock gates leaked. Shoals and sandbanks had developed in the Foyle below the entrance to the canal, as a result of the failure of the Derry authorities to dredge the channel. Whereas coasters had been able to reach Strabane in the early years of the canal, this was no longer possible, since the construction of the Carlisle Bridge in Derry in the 1860s and a bridge carrying the narrow gauge Donegal Railway over the canal below Strabane Basin. Previously, the only bridges over the canal had been two wooden swing bridges, which allowed the passage of boats with masts or funnels. Despite the fact that lighters could only complete the journey if half full, trade continued, with Smyth's grain mill generating up to half the trade. Within the Strabane Basin, there were two saw mills, a tannery, a brewery and repair shops and docks which were used to service the lighters. A little further down, coal was unloaded to supply the gas works, where a jetty had been built into the canal.
When the narrow-gauge railway had been opened in 1900, it had been expected to provide competition for the existing line, but in practice, the two companies agreed rates, because the canal was still offering some competition. In 1910, carriage of foodstuffs and manure was still cheaper by water, and the canal basin was much nearer the town centre than the railway station. James McFarland, who had been the principal shareholder in the Canal Company since 1890, died around this time, and the lack of good management led to further decline. In 1912, the canal was bought from the Duke by the Strabane and Foyle Navigation Company Limited. The main shareholder was William Smyth, who owned the mill at Strabane (Smyth’s Mill), but despite attempts to improve the navigable depth of the canal, and the acquisition of a steam tug to tow the barges along the canal, traffic did not recover, and ceased in the early 1930s. Attempts were made to abandon the canal from 1944, and the section between Strabane and the swing bridge at Dysert was finally abandoned in 1962. The rest officially remained open.
Towpath
In June 2006 the Strabane Lifford Development Commission paid for a £1.3m cross-border waterways restoration contract. The project was launched by President of Ireland, Mary McAleese, in Lifford and intended to restore the 2.4 km (1.5 mi) of canal and two locks to working order.
The two sets of locks were restored but the construction work on the canal channel was of a poor standard.
This work also included the building of a footbridge, which when completed did not satisfy the council’s health and safety requirements and so the project stagnated.
On 4th June 2012, Strabane District Council announced that the canal towpath would be opened on a temporary basis for walkers, runners and cyclists to avail of during the summer. A considerable amount of redevelopment has taken place to restore this part of the canal and it is envisaged that parking and toilet facilities will also be developed later that year.
The Foyle Canoe Trail will also be enhanced through the construction of three canoe ramps along the reopened stretch of canal. This work will be carried out as part of the Interreg IVA Programme for Rural Development and Priority Co-operation for a sustainable cross border region.
To get there, drive down the Greenlaw Road from the centre of Ballymagorry village towards the Foyle and there's a small parking area at the end of that road at Devine's Lock. There are a couple of blind corners on the narrow Greenlaw Road, so care is needed.
Lighters
A lighter is a type of flat-bottomed barge used to transfer goods and passengers to and from moored ships. Lighters were traditionally unpowered and were moved and steered using long oars called "sweeps" and the motive power of water currents. The term is also used in the Lighter Aboard Ship (LASH) system.
Coasters
Coastal trading vessels, also known as coasters, are shallow-hulled ships used for trade between locations on the same island or continent. Their shallow hulls mean that they can get through reefs where deeper-hulled seagoing ships usually cannot. Coasters can load and unload cargo in shallow ports.
Port Hall House & Michael Priestley
If walking the banks of the River Foyle look out for Port Hall House, Ballindrait, a fine Georgian house on the Donegal side of the river. This small-scale Palladian country house dates from 1746 is arguably the finest building in its type and date in Donegal. It is built to a symmetrical style with central pedimented breakfront having Diocletian window openings. Gibbs surrounds to the openings and centring on a bold classical door case. It was built for John Vaughan of Buncrana Castle as a convenient base for when the Grand Jury was in session at Lifford. Both the courthouse in Lifford and Port Hall House display the carved coat of arms of George ll over their main doorway.
The architect was Michael Priestley and the list of other structures attributed to this man is impressive. In 1774, the nephew of Thomas Connolly, M.P. and Speaker of the Irish House of Commons (1715-1729), is said to have commissioned Priestley to build Lifford House, which became the base for the Grand Jury during the Lifford Assizes. We know it today as the Gateway Hotel. Other famous buildings connected to him include Dunmore House, Carrigans; Prehen House, Co. Derry; Strabane Town Hall; Church of St. John, Clondehorky; Bishop Barnard’s Chapel of Ease and Palace, Derry; Strabane canal and new street layout for the Earl of Abercorn; Boom Hall, Co. Derry; and last but not least, a remodelling of the Bishop’s Palace, Raphoe. Considering that “in the mid-18th century there were very few native architects practising in Ireland as a whole, whilst fewer still in the more remote areas”, Michael Priestley certainly left his mark in this part of the world.
Despite his contribution to the history of Lifford and surrounding area, Michael Priestley remains a bit of a mystery. One of the trustees, Nathaniel Nesbitt, thought him “a plain man, no great drawer of estimates, his skill lies mainly in his practice”. For the period, he is regarded as the “one figure who stands out with an identifiable style and artistic personality”. Yet we don’t even know the dates and places of his birth and death. His impact on the Lifford area, however, is undeniable and it is here that the Courthouse plays a crucial role. It is the only building in Ireland we know for certain to be Priestley’s work and because “it embodies in one façade many of the elements so characteristic of the work of the architect…it provides an essential reference which enables us to ascribe to him with confidence, further buildings in the region”.
Anthony Marreco (26th August 1915 – 4th June 2006)
Port Hall was owned by Anthony Marreco from 1956 until the 1983. He had a strong interest in building conservation and carefully repaired and conserved Port Hall during the 1960s. This important building is one of the most significant elements of the built heritage of Donegal, and forms the centrepiece of a group of related structures along with the warehouses to the rear, the walled garden to the south, and the other surviving elements to site.
River Foyle
The River Foyle (from Irish: an Feabhal) is a river in the northwest of the island of Ireland, which flows from the confluence of the rivers Finn and Mourne at the towns of Lifford in County Donegal, Republic of Ireland, and Strabane in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. From here it flows to the city of Derry, where it discharges into Lough Foyle and, ultimately, the Atlantic Ocean. The total length of the River Foyle is 129 km (80 miles). The river separates part of County Donegal from parts of both County Londonderry and County Tyrone. The district of County Donegal that borders the western bank of the River Foyle is traditionally known as the Laggan Valley. This district includes the villages of St. Johnston and Carrigans, both of which are nestled on the banks of the river.
Fishing
Prior to the Plantation of Ulster the fishing rights on the River would have been owned by the O’Neills and the O’Donnells, the Chieftains of Tír Eoghain and Donegal respectively. When the Plantation of Ulster started in 1609 a body called The Honourable The Irish Society had been set up by Royal Charter in 1613 to administer the affairs of the Plantation. The Society was then given the rights to the fishing on the river and on the River Bann, all except the parts of the rivers owned by the Bishop of Derry. In 1944 an action for trespass was taken by the Society against a fisherman from Porthall who they deemed to be fishing illegally. The case was heard by Mr Justice George Gavan Duffy in the high court in Dublin during 1947/48. The case was dismissed against the man. The Society then appealed the decision and also appealed to both Northern and Southern Governments at losing the case. Both Governments agreed to buy the fishing rights for the sum of £110,280 on condition that they drop the appeal. This led to the establishment of a commission to oversee the fishing on the river and on Lough Foyle. The body set up was called the Foyle Fisheries Commission and was established by a Bill passed simultaneously by the Governments of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland on 25 March 1952. The Foyle Fisheries Commission was disestablished on 10 April 2007 with the signing of the Foyle & Carlingford Fisheries Act 2007. The Foyle is believed to be one of the best salmon rivers in Ireland and is now managed by the Loughs Agency of the Foyle, Carlingford and Irish Lights Commission (FCILC).
Details of the fishing regulations are available from the Loughs Agency Website.