Survey Data

Reg No

50100595


Rating

Regional


Categories of Special Interest

Architectural, Social, Technical


Original Use

Lock


In Use As

Lock


Date

1785 - 1795


Coordinates

317121, 233175


Date Recorded

24/06/2016


Date Updated

--/--/--


Description

Canal lock, built c. 1790 as part of Grand Canal at Huband Bridge. Cut limestone retaining walls, curved to south end, having copings tied with iron and lead pins. Two sets of double-leaf timber lock gates, having iron hinge fixings and cast-iron mechanisms. Located at south side of Huband Bridge, between Herbert Place and Percy Place, flanked by grassy banks with pair of painted masonry mooring posts, pedestrian path to west, canal bank tree-lined to Herbert Place, with cast-iron railings over painted granite plinth.

Appraisal

This lock is one of a series of forty-three on the Grand Canal, a waterway that connects Dublin with the River Shannon. Forming a curve from Portobello to Ringsend, and defining the south side of central Dublin, construction of the canal began in 1790 and was complete by 1797. The primary purpose was to increase trade by facilitating the transportation of goods, but the canal was also used to transport passengers. The high level of craftsmanship and quality of materials in the lock and associated bridge are indicative of the skill of those involved in the construction and of the wider impact and economic significance of the canal.