The
Royal Canal, sometimes called ‘the shoemaker’s Canal’ from a linking
one of its early promoters with such a craft, always played second
fiddle to its better known cousin, the Grand Canal, which takes
a more southerly route across the midlands. The Royal was fourteen
years behind the Grand in making the link between Dublin and the
Shannon in the early 19th century; it never carried the same volume
of traffic; and it had effectively ceased to be used as a commercial
waterway in 1951 while there was still some level of traffic on
the Grand. However what it lacks in its commercial history compared
to the Grand it more than compensates by its route which is rich
in the landmarks of history. The massive aqueduct over the River
Rye near Leixlip, Maynooth’s fine harbour against the background
of a university town and the walled demesnes of the great estates
of Carton and Castletown are as impressive a backdrop as any to
be found on the waterways.
The
grounds of St.Patrick's College, Maynooth run parallel to the
Royal Canal. The college pays an annual towpath levy of forty-six
pence to the state-a charge fixed in 1799! The Royal’s strongest
asset in modern times is the fact that the development of North
Kildare and West Dublin has put it centre stage as an amenity
and environmental asset for the thousands of new residents of
the commuter belt. While the Grand Canal passes through countryside
which is relatively sparsely populated the Royal has some of Ireland’s
fastest growing towns such as Leixlip and Maynooth along its banks.
The fact that bus and rail routes with frequent services serve
the same corridor means that the North Kildare stretch from Leixlip
via Maynooth to Kilcock is extremely convenient saving walkers
from having to perform major logistical feats to organise transport
at either end. Take a suburban train to Leixlip and walk to Maynooth
where the rail station is beside the Canal or continue to Kilcock
which is served by both city and provincial buses. What could
be more convenient? The Royal Canal runs for ninety miles from
the River Liffey at Dublin’s North Wall to the Shannon at Clondra
in Co. Longford. The route described below takes the walker along
the almost nine miles of the waterway entirely within Co. Kildare
from Leixlip to Kilcock.
