Waterways in County Kildare
Towpath Trails: the Walker's Guide
Introduction | The Barrow Line | The Grand Canal | The Royal Canal | Waterways Map
The Grand Canal
Route 1: Hazelhatch to Sallins: 8 miles, 13 km
The starting point at Hazelhatch bridge is just half a mile to the east of the railway halt of the same name on the Celbridge to Newcastle Road. Two pubs lie within the shadow of the bridge which is a favourite mooring spot for boat owners away from the built up areas of the city. Begin your walk on the south bank of the canal and stay on this side all the way to Sallins. For the first half mile the underfoot going consists of an old tarmac path which gives way to a firm grass track on the approach to Aylmers Bridge. The view to the east is dominated by the Dublin mountains.
Past Aylmers bridge the towpath is shadowed by the high wall of the Lyons estate which was formerly the home of the Aylmers, an old Kildare dynasty, and later the Lawless family who held the title of lords Cloncurry. The first lord Cloncurry built the classic great house which can just be glimpsed through the gates of the demesne wall. It was remodelled by the renowned Palladian architect Richard Morrison in 1810 and later furnished by the second Lord Cloncurry with architectural treasures from Greece and Rome. Lyons Hill to the east rises to 630 feet - according to legend it was a rallying place of the tribes of Leinster.
The towpath continues past Henry bridge and along a badly-maintained road towards Ponsonby Bridge. An old pumping tower stands off the canal to the east indicating the location of the large Boston limestone quarries, now flooded. The stump of a 6th century round tower may be glimpsed on Oughterard Hill in the background. In a cemetery at the foot of the tower is the grave of Arthur Guinness (d.1803) who has satisfied more thirsts in the world than anybody else in history; Indeed the hill echoes many footnotes to the past - it was on this slope in 1815 that Daniel O' Connell and John D'Esteere fought a pistol duel, with mortal results for the latter.
Letting the mind dwell on such colourful historical memoirs is an antidote to the rather plain nature of the canalside on this stretch but do look out for the old Ardclough church, now converted to a residence, and the adjacent school-house with its classical portico. The stretch from Ponsonby Bridge to Devonshire Bridge is tedious with difficult underfoot conditions but patience is rewarded west of Devonshire Bridge where two locks - 14th and 15th in proximity - and the waterworks associated with the Morell feeder form an interesting diversion. This vigorous stream which tumbles from the hills of east Kildare was a crucial factor in resuscitating the paralysed canal building scheme in the 1760s. Dublin Corporation drove the project on to reach the Morell which they saw as a fine supply of clear water for a thirsty and growing city. The old sluice house at the 15th lock is ruined but the nearby aqueduct is a noteworthy structure being almost a scale model of the much larger Leinster Aqueduct west of Sallins.
The topography changes on the way into Sallins with the canal curving through the sandy hills at Kerdiffstown where it is bridged by the Dublin - Cork railway line. As mainline trains thunder overhead pause for a moment and reflect on how this spot marked a watershed in Irish transport history in the last century . In the 1840s as the rail route was being built towards the south from Dublin the canal company directors tried to stop their faster and more spectacular competitor by refusing the rail company permission to build the bridge across the canal. After the case went to the highest levels of Government the rail company was given permission to bridge the canal near Sallins thus giving the green light to the spread of the railway system to the rest of the country.
On the north bank shortly after passing under the rail bridge you will see a concrete shell which is all that remains of an attempt by a German national to build a sugar - factory about the time of the First World War. The enterprise failed but the building is noted as one of the first to use reinforced concrete. Sallins is a gem of a canalside village. Fine rows of houses stand back from the compact harbour which once bustled with boats loading and unloading for Odlums mills just settlement clustered around the canal and the mills were powerhouse of the local economy. The meat factory on the north bank stands on the site of an old canal hotel. Sallins is a good starting point for a circular walk to the Leinster Aqueduct, back along the interesting and scenic Naas branch, and then returning by a path along the main road to the village. Alternatively it is also the starting point for the walk towards Robertstown. Stock up well on snack material - it is the last village for seven miles.