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On the day last year that king in waiting, Prince Charles was visiting Hillsborough I was embarking on a completely different royal adventure, the mission being to cycle the entire length of the Royal Canal. Starting at Spencer Dock in Dublin the Royal Canal travels 145km to Cloondara in County Longford. Complete with 46 locks unlike Newry Canal the Royal is navigable with many barges moored along the way. Completed in 1817 it was built in competition to the Grand Canal, which had opened 13 years earlier. It cost just over £1.4m to build.
And so it was Tuesday 13 September 2022 I took my trusty bike aboard the early Enterprise from Newry to Connolly and less than five minutes after getting off in the capital, there I was at Spencer Dock on the River Liffey where the Royal Canal starts its journey westward. Being what I would call a 'leisurely cyclist, the plan was to take three days to do the route staying in accommodation along the way, though of course I had nothing booked for the first night - 'sure it will be grand'.
Setting out from Dublin it's a matter of following streets or paths that travel alongside the canal, as the proper greenway part only really starts in Maynooth. It is a pretty interesting trip though with plenty of the unusual along the way. Firstly there was a chance to get up close and personal with the sculpture of Luke Kelly on Sheriff Street complete with wire hair, then it was past Lock Number One and right underneath Croke Park with a chance to view the massive stadium from a completely different angle. Drumcondra not to be outdone has a rather more sedate sculpture of Brendan Behan so I took a moment to stop and chat - one way of course.
What follows is a series of paths alongside the canal ocasionally changing sides, getting into the city suburbs passing lock after lock and then a massive housing development under way at Ashtown. Just an hour after starting The Lock Keeper Bar comes into view. Being trained well I realised this was where I needed to stop though unfortunately it hadn't opened just yet but with the distinct possibility that it could be days before I came across another hostelry I hung around and waited. Suitably refreshed it was time to leave the city.
Who knew that as you drive along the M50 that one of the bridges holds up the water of the Royal Canal. I certainly didn't. Cycling along the M50 aqueduct it gave me a completely different perspective of the road I hate the most. Down there everyone is rushing along, overtaking and undertaking while up here, all the time in the world with not a care in the world.
Crossing the M50 really does give the impression you have left the city well behind. Arriving at the beautiful Castleknock Marina I had no idea that this was the 'end of the line' as far as a path you could cycle easily was concerned, but just five minutes later the former tarred paths which I had got so used to were gone and the grass and mud track with occasional bit of gravel got narrower and narrower. With the aim being to keep the Canal in view, I pressed on, taking a chance with a 'towpath closed' sign. At one stage it was easier to take the bike for a walk with the track being so narrow with a steep drop down to the canal. Easily the most awkward part of the journey, it took around half an hour of walking/ cycling to clear that stretch and after that the path widened out with a mix of gravel path and grass/ mud for the next hour and a half to Maynooth.
The Royal Canal Greenway officially starts in Maynooth travelling the 130km to Cloondara so once I reached here the track was significantly better and easier to follow. Having said that, the journey from Dublin to Maynooth was perhaps made even more interesting by the fact that you didn't know what was coming next. A five hour journey thus far with the occasional snail waving as it past me!
Onwards west we went, reaching Lock 14 of 46. Next stop Kilcock and time for a quick wee Guinness stop in the character filled Murphy's before forging on towards Enfield. Reaching Enfield at 6.45pm it became pretty obvious very quickly that like Bethlehem there was 'no room in the inn'. No doubt it is a wonderful town but thoughts of sleeping in a hedge do affect your judgement.
Eventually though we did get a lead where the person on the other end of the phone didn't say no! Moyvalley Resort were the knights in shining armour and even though it did end up €120 and even though it was half an hour further on it was well worth it. A wonderful hotel. Sitting down to a beautiful meal and a few glasses of wine the difficulties in finding somewhere to stay were soon forgotten. One tip though - If you are going to Moyvalley on your bicycle, once you enter the gates take the first turn right, unlike me who followed the road taking me on a tour right round the estate before reaching the hotel what seemed like a week later. How was I to know the hotel was actually close to the entrance!
Day one over with tired legs but the sense of adventure just warming up!
Check out the photographs below. They are ordered from start of day to finish.
