The Kilkenny Observer welcomes John Comerford from Kilkenny tours who will bring us on trip to visit various locations in Kilkenny city and county. We hope to bring you a piece of history on the first Friday of each month. To give the full history on each location would take up too many column inches, but we hope that the information shared, will, at the very least, whet your appetite in discovering Kilkenny’s rich history, architecture, and hidden gems. This week (number two in the series) John visits The Canal Walk in Kilkenny.
Not every story in Kilkenny ends the way it was planned – but some leave behind something better. The Canal Walk began as part of an 18th-century effort to improve navigation along the River Nore, with canal cuts and towpaths laid out in the 1750s.
Funding for the canal was provided by Parliament of Ireland in 1755 to value of £10,000. The main backer of the of the building of the canal was the Coles family, owners of Kilkenny Marble Works, who had their Marble factory in Maddoxtown on the River Nore .
This was a hugely successful company exporting Kilkenny marble all over Britain The canal would provide a cheaper form of transport for their marble products However, due to various Challenges including the need to construct locks and canals to bypass various obstructions, the project was abandoned in 1761.The canal is recognised in the National inventory of architectural heritage highlighting its historical and cultural significance.
The failure to finish the building of the canal which would have made the city navigable from the sea was to have an enduring impact. It led to the development of rival market places on the River Barrow and Clonmel on the River Suir, from where it was cheaper to ship goods to Dublin and Waterford. While the scheme never fully succeeded, the route it created, settled into the city’s life as a place for walking, gathering, and taking in the city’s quieter side . The path runs beneath the walls of Kilkenny Castle, following the line of the old canal and river edge. Along the way, you’ll notice traces of the city’s working past – stone walls, mill races, and old boundaries that once served industry rather than leisure. These days, it’s the setting that draws people in: the trees arching overhead, the steady movement of the river, and the views back towards the castle. If you continue on, the walk links naturally with the Nore Valley route and the Lacken Boardwalk, offering a longer stretch of riverside that feels a world away from the streets, though it’s only minutes from the centre.
It’s a lovely place to have a morning stroll, rewarded with a coffee at the end. I often include this stretch when talking about how the city has evolved over time. If you’d like to see how it all fits together, you’re very welcome to join me on one of my walking tours.
