Canal

The National Monuments Service's description

Turlough O'Conor moved a fleet from the River Suck to Lough Ree in 1139 by digging a canal, enabling him to surprise his Viking enemies by attacking from an unexpected direction. This could only be done by connecting the River Suck with the headwaters of the Hind River through turloughs at Ballinturly and Correal.
A section is thought locally to survive on a col between low hills to the E and W, connecting Ballinturly turlough (dims. c. 2 km E-W; c. 0.5 km N-S) with Correal turlough (dims. c. 600m NE-SW; c. 300m NW-SE) which are c. 500m apart. Described as a depression (L c. 300m N-S; Wth c. 7m; D c. 4m) with earthen banks at E and W (Moran 1993, 10-11) which was reclaimed c. 1980. It is now visible as a depression (Wth c. 5-6m; max. D c. 1m at E) with an earthen bank (Wth 4.5m; H at W 0.3m; H at E 1.5m) on the W forming the townland boundary with Correal. The bank is planted with hazel and conifers, and has the base of a stone wall on top of it. A second section (RO041-021----) is c. 800m to the NE.

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload: 24 August 2010

References

Moran, J. M. 1993 Stepping on stones. Local history of the Ballinturly/Correal valley. Privately published.