Tralee Ship Canal

The Tralee Ship Canal (Irish: Longchanáil Thrá Lí) is a canal built for freight and passenger transportation from Tralee Bay to the town of Tralee in County Kerry, Ireland. The canal fell into disuse in the mid-20th century but has since been restored.

Tralee Ship Canal Longchanáil Thrá Lí
Tralee Ship Canal from the swing bridge at Blennerville, County Kerry
Coordinates	52.2584°N 9.7355°W / 52.2584; -9.7355
Specifications
Length	3.2 km (2.0 miles)
Locks	1
Status	Open
Navigation authority	Unknown
History
Construction began	1832
Date completed	1846
Date closed	1951
Date restored	1999
Geography
Start point	Tralee
End point	Blennerville
Connects to	Tralee Bay

History

Tralee Harbour Act 1828
Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An Act for making and maintaining a Navigable Cut or Canal from a Point at or near the Blackrock in the Harbour of Tralee, in the County of Kerry, to Croompanrikard, near the Town of Tralee, in the said County; and for otherwise improving the said Harbour of Tralee.
Citation	9 Geo. 4. c. cxviii
Dates
Royal assent	15 July 1828
Text of statute as originally enacted

Tralee Navigation and Harbour Act 1836
Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An Act to extend the Time limited by an Act passed in the Ninth Year of the Reign of His late Majesty King George the Fourth,[p] for improving the Navigation and Harbour of Tralee in the County of Kerry.
Citation	6 & 7 Will. 4. c. cxiv
Dates
Royal assent	4 July 1836
Other legislation
Amends	Tralee Harbour Act 1828
Text of statute as originally enacted

Tralee Navigation Act 1841
Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An Act to empower the Commissioners for the Issue of Exchequer Bills for public Works to complete the Works authorized to be made by an Act of the Sixth and Seventh Years of His late Majesty King William the Fourth, for improving the Navigation and Harbour of Tralee in the County of Kerry; and to extend the Time for that Purpose.
Citation	4 & 5 Vict. c. 46
Dates
Royal assent	21 June 1841
Other legislation
Amends	Tralee Navigation and Harbour Act 1836

Tralee Navigation and Harbour Act 1844
Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An Act to extend the Time limited by an Act passed in the Fourth and Fifth Years of Her present Majesty, empowering the Commissioners for the Issue of Exchequer Bills for Public Works to complete the Works for improving the Navigation and Harbour of Tralee in the County of Kerry.
Citation	7 & 8 Vict. c. 99
Dates
Royal assent	9 August 1844
Other legislation
Amends	Tralee Navigation Act 1841

Tralee Canal Act 1864
Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An Act for empowering the Commissioners of the Harbour of Tralee to raise Money, and for other Purposes.
Citation	27 & 28 Vict. c. cxxxi
Dates
Royal assent	30 June 1864
Text of statute as originally enacted

The Tralee Ship Canal was built to accommodate larger ships sailing into Tralee since the existing quay in Blennerville was becoming unpractical to use due to silting. Merchants in Tralee were not satisfied with its facilities and petitioned the House of Commons to authorise an act of Parliament in June 1829 for the construction of a canal. Work on the canal began in 1832 but issues with funding meant the canal was not completed until 1846 when it was finally opened to ships. The canal was 2 miles (3.2 km) in length with a new canal basin built in Tralee, lock gates and a wooden swing bridge constructed in Blennerville. Large ships of up to 300 tonnes could navigate the canal but not long after the canal opened it too began to suffer from silting. By the 1880s Fenit harbour was built which was a deep water harbour and did not suffer from silting. Soon afterwards a railway was constructed between Fenit and Tralee which allowed for the transport of cargo and freight from ships moored there. Due to continued silting of the canal and the increased use of Fenit the canal fell into disuse and was subsequently closed in 1951.^[1][2]

Restoration

Following the restoration of Blennerville Windmill in the early 1990s it was envisaged that the canal could be restored as a tourist attraction. In 1999 the Office of Public Works (OPW) started a restoration project of the canal at a cost of IR£650,000. It involved the excavation of the basin, a new swing bridge constructed at Blennerville, the lock gates being restored and the canal being dredged of silt. The basin area of the canal was subsequently redeveloped with apartment blocks built as part of a proposed marina while the towpath along the canal was upgraded and is now used by people as an enjoyable amenity as part of the Dingle Way. Tralee Rowing Club use the canal and have a boathouse at the basin.^[3]

• 
  The Basin at the end of the Tralee Ship Canal
• 
  Looking towards Tralee Bay from the swing bridge at Blennerville
• 
  Lock Gate towards Tralee Bay