Newry Canal & Our Engineering Heritage

29/06/2026

Some great photos from our outing on Saturday. The weather wasn’t on our side, but it didn’t stop us from having a great day exploring Victoria Lock and the canal. Really looking forward to seeing the footage from all participants !!

14/06/2026

Thanks Declan - it was a great day . Looking forward to our next trip on the Newry Canal. 👍👍👍

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/14avjCsFrGT/?mibextid=wwXIfr

08/05/2026

The photos don't do it justice - so more to follow !!

What a fantastic turnout last night for the launch of Newry Canal & Our Engineering Heritage – Thriving Together. We were genuinely blown away by the support, the energy in the room, and the shared pride in the story of this place.

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us; participants, families, local history enthusiasts, and community partners. We were delighted to welcome representatives from Newry, Mourne and Down District Council along with Cllr Aidan Mathers and Cllr Cathal King, whose support for heritage and community projects is so important.

Special thanks again to Geraldine Foley for her brilliant talk Bogs, Battles and Barges, and to all our partners who help make this programme possible.

This project is all about connection, creativity, and celebrating the engineering heritage that shaped Newry — and last night was the perfect start. Here’s to the months ahead and everything we’ll build together !!

06/05/2026

Today's the day! Looking forward to this evening's 6:30pm project launch event at Newry's Bagenal's Castle, and to Geraldine's talk! See you there!

21/04/2026

20/03/2026

Did you know the Newry Canal officially opened in 1742. It holds the historic distinction of being the oldest summit-level canal in the United Kingdom and Ireland, predating the famous Bridgewater Canal in England by nearly 30 years.

* Purpose: It was originally built to transport coal from the Tyrone coalfields (via Lough Neagh) to Dublin to reduce reliance on expensive British imports.

* Dimensions & Route: The inland canal stretched approximately 18–20 miles from Portadown to Newry, featuring 14 locks (originally 13).

* Engineering Feat: As a "summit-level" canal, it was a major technical achievement because it crossed a watershed, rising to a high point of roughly 78 feet (23.8 metres) above sea level before descending again.

* Ship Canal Extension: To bypass the silted Clanrye River, a separate Ship Canal was opened in 1769, allowing larger sea-going vessels to reach the heart of Newry.

* Economic Impact: During its peak in the 1840s, it transformed Newry into a major port, carrying diverse goods like linen, butter, meat, grain, and timber.
* Decline & Closure: The arrival of railways in the mid-19th century led to a steady decline. The inland canal was officially abandoned in 1949, followed by the ship canal in the 1960s/70s.

* Modern Use: Today, the canal’s towpath is a popular 32km greenway for walking and cycling, forming part of the National Cycle Network and Ulster Way.

17/03/2026

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Up the volunteers of the local Newry Portadown branch of Inland Waterways Association of Ireland https://www.facebook.com/Newry.Portadown.Canal/ !!! Let's all help get the canal back to life.

Newry.LN - St Patrick’s Day Parade Newry 2026

17/03/2026

Thanks to newry.ie for the shout out! Enrollments are still being taken for this project!

A new project exploring the engineering history of the Newry Canal is looking to recruit between 20 and 30 local participants, with places open to anyone with an interest in local history, engineering or photography. The project, which is supported by PEACEPLUS and managed by the Special EU Programm...

12/03/2026

Our project is featured in the NMDDC PEACEPLUS 'Thriving Together' Action Plan recently launched:

09/03/2026

How beautiful is Moneypenny's Lock?

Newry.LN on our travels today at Moneypenny's Lock No.14 and Lock-keepers house, Newry Canal.
See Newry Canal page for more including video from today's visit.