1. Rathangan to Monasterevan 6.5 miles, 10.5km

Resume your walk on the road along the east bank of the canal pausing to admire the double lock followed by Spencer’s bridge- the Spencer in question was a hapless local landlord piked to death in the aforesaid Rebellion!

Note how the bridge walls have been recessed to give room to the swing beams of the deep gates of the double - chambered lock.

Cross the road keeping to the east bank to begin the walk to Monasterevin. The towpath shows evidence of recent dredging and is a little sluggish at first but gradually becomes firmer. A fine thatched cottage at Umeras Bridge and the double lock at McCartneys Bridge are the main items of interest on this uneventful six mile trek to Monasterevin. Just past McCartneys bridge Ballykelly Mill turns its back to the canal. The first mill was built here in 1801 to take advantage of the newly constructed canal.

Any monotony that might have set in will be more than compensated for by the myriad of bridges and engineering features which are a legacy of Monasterevin’s halcyon days as a humming town which thrived on distillery and milling enterprises. Across the canal are fine warehouses and a three - storey house which was once a canal hotel. However Monasterevin’s gem is its lifting bridge - the largest and most elaborate of several examples on the Barrow waterway. Today it is lifted by electric motor but for nearly two centuries was cranked by hand as boat took precedence over road traffic. Watch out for the nearby ‘blind’ bridge : its blocked up arches are witness to the original line of the canal to the Barrow. It was replaced by the Barrow aqueduct - a structure rivalling the Leinster aqueduct on the main canal for its structural dignity.