This is the gateway from Lough Corrib to the sea – at least, it used to be. The Eglington canal linked the lake to the sea via this canal basin – you can see the railings of the newly-restored lock gates in the upper-right of the photo. When the tide is high, it’s possible to float out into the bay via the gates.The canal was not economical – the cost of building and maintaining it was more than the fees earned from its use. Today, the canal is defunct. While boats can still enter and leave the canal basin from the sea, it is not possible to reach the lake anymore. The next set of lock-gates are no longer working (what’s left is a ‘waterfall’ near the Roisín Dubh) and some of the road bridges no longer swing open to allow boats to pass through.
The canal was opened on this day in 1852.