PAUL SWIFT continues his series on the waterways of Ireland
The Lagan Canal, which is also known as the Lagan Navigation, connected Belfast with Lough Neagh. It was 27 miles long, starting in Stranmillis, Belfast and ending at Ellis Gut just outside the village of Aghagallon.
Most of the canal between Lisburn and Lough Neagh was subsequently destroyed in 1961 when it was used to form the foundations of part of the M1 motorway. There were 27 locks along its length, and it was made up of two distinct sections, six miles of river and 21 miles of canal.
The idea of connecting Lough Neagh with the sea goes back as far as 1649 when Colonel Monk, a Cromwellian soldier, ordered a survey, however it wasn’t until 1741 that proper action began. Arthur Dobbs, the Surveyor General, surveyed the route to Belfast and in 1753 a petition was presented to the Irish House of Commons. Thomas Omer was appointed as chief engineer and work commenced in 1756.
This was to be an expensive project. Initial expenses were estimated at £60,000. The Irish Parliament contributed £16,000, the Marquess of Donegall lent £10,000 and the remainder was raised by placing a tax on alcohol sold locally.
The canal was built in stages. The first stage was from Belfast to Lisburn, and this was completed by 1763. By 1768 the canal went as far as Sprucefield and Union Locks. In 1782 Richard Owen agreed to take over from Thomas Omer as the chief engineer of the project.
At that time, it was thought that four years would complete the job, however it took ten years for the canal to reach the village of Aghalee. Initially goods were transported by road between Lough Neagh and Aghalee. In December 1793 the canal was eventually completed when it connected into Lough Neagh at an area known as Ellis’ Gut.
The official opening took place on 1st January 1794 and was performed by the Marquess of Donegall who had provided substantial funding for the project. The Belfast Newsletter reported, “the Commissioners breakfasted at the home of Richard Owen in Moira, then travelled to Lough Neagh by boat, embarking at ten o’clock from the aqueduct. They were met with a celebratory “charge of guns” from a boat previously placed at “Friars Glynn.” It was reported that thousands had turned out and that “refreshments of drink” were copiously distributed.’
Continue reading in this week’s Ireland’s Own