Royal Canal Greenway Gary O’Daly
As a resident of Maynooth and a long distance runner I have come to find the Royal Canal the greatest amenity in Maynooth. While heading east towards Dublin from Maynooth is a little rougher underfoot, Waterways Ireland has been working hard in partnership with Kildare, Meath, Westmeath and Longford County Councils to bring together Ireland’s longest Greenway of 120km, starting at Maynooth Harbour and going the whole way to Richmond Harbour in Cloondara, Co. Longford.
“The Royal Canal Greenway provides the residents of Maynooth with the perfect place to get out and go for a walk, jog, run or cycle...” The Royal Canal Greenway provides the residents of Maynooth with the perfect place to get out and go for a walk, jog, run or cycle and its wide path has proven to be the perfect escape in these challenging times of Covid restrictions. With the adult fitness equipment in the Harbour Field, those training for the 10k/5k can warm up using the machines on the field before taking to do 500m sprint repeats on the smooth tarmac between the Harbour and Bond Bridge. Those looking to do interval training can go a little further, passing under Bond Bridge and continuing on out to Jackson Bridge and the 14th Lock which is a lovely flat wide stretch of 2.2km from the harbour. Then for those looking to stretch out their runs it is 22
a 4.3km stretch from the Harbour out to Chambers Bridge and the 15th Lock passing by Bailey’s Bridge (the Royal Canal’s first accommodation bridge heading west) and North Kildare Club on the way and finally if you really want to push out the long run you can continue on to Kilcock Harbour and Shaw’s Bridge at the 16th Lock which is 6km from Maynooth Harbour giving the runner a nice round trip of 12km, on safe wide traffic free paths. Of course it is important to bear in mind current restrictions and health advice. The Royal Canal Greenway was developed from the old towpaths of the Royal Canal where unlike the more commercially successful Grand Canal, almost all the boats that operated were horse drawn which would have pulled the barges from the towpath. The construction of the Royal Canal started in 1790 and reached Maynooth around 1795, making the canal and St. Patrick’s College contemporaries of each other. It is said that Royal Canal only came to Maynooth due to the meddling of William Fitzgerald, the 2nd Duke of Leinster who wanted the Canal to pass his property at Carton House as it does now at Pike Bridge, rather than taking a route further north. This change of direction necessitated the blasting of the Deep Sinking around Clonsilla and the building of the Ryewater Aqueduct near
