Passage Boats and Steam Boats

Passage Boats on the Barrow

The arrival and departure of Passage Boats at Carlow was advertised locally in 1799. Accordingly the Directors of the Barrow Navigation Company gave notice, that from 1st May to the 21st August [1799] their Passage Boat would leave Carlow at five o'clock in the morning and would arrive at Athy before eight o'clock, at which time the Grand Canal Boat would leave Athy for Dublin.

The advertisement continued: "The Barrow Boat will leave Athy on her return to Carlow at seven o'clock in the evening, by which time the Grand Canal Boat will arrive at Athy from Dublin.

The Directors further give Notice that they intend in the course of the summer to ply a Passage Boat between Athy and Leighlin.

N.B. Parcels conveyed in the Passage Boat on reasonable Terms." - Taken from Finns Leinster Journal, 25th April, 1799

Steam Boats on the Barrow

In 1860 a new type of boat was introduced on the Barrow. This is a contemporary account of its maiden voyage:

"On Wednesday last the people of Carlow had the satisfaction of witnessing a new description of steam-boat, or chain propellor, which is, in future, to be used in towing lighters on the canals and the river Barrow. It arrived here at one o'clock, having in tow the Barrow Navigation Company's State Barge, which conveyed the Chairman and Directors of that Company, from Dublin, Colonel Latouche, J.C. Colville, Esq., Mr. Robinson, the patentee of the invention, Mr. Cole, Mr. McCombe, the Company's Manager, &c. Several gentlemen along the line of Navigation availed themselves of the opportunity of witnessing the trial of this boat, which was most satisfactory, and on her arrival at Carlow some thousands of the inhabitants lined the quays for several hours.

Steam boat

Image of a steam boat taken from an advertisement in the Carlow Sentinel.

Carlow County Library

Steam boat
Carlow County Library

Steam boat

Image of a steam boat taken from an advertisement in the Carlow Sentinel.

Carlow County Library

Enlarge image

The simplicity of the invention and the nominal expense of working the boat, makes the undertaking most desirable, when compared with the expense of horsing a Navigation such as the Barrow, where often six horses are required to haul a boat. The hull of this steamer is about 60 feet long, with an eight feet beam, drawing two feet of water with her machinery. At the forward beam a large iron axle is placed, resting on each gunwale, and at the extreme ends of the axle, outside the boat, two large pullies are attached, about 2 ½ feet in diameter; another axle and pair of pullies are placed mid-ships, and a third axle and pullies at the aft beam. Attached to the steam engine is a driving shaft which extends from one end of the boat to the other, having a connection or spur wheel acting on each of the axles, keeping them and the pullies continually revolving. Two large endless cable chains, weighing about 56lbs to the yard, are placed on the pullies at each side of the boat, forming as it were, flexible wheels; the slack of these chains drag on the bottom of the river, and as the axles revolve, the chain bites the bottom, and propels the boat.

This is certainly, the best invention we have heard of for towing on canals. Sere boats are objectionable because of the fans getting choked with woods, and at summer level the shallows would barely cover a screw. Paddle boats have been condemned because of their washing away the banks, and the difficulty in passing them through the locks; but this invention not only does not wash away the banks, but the chains actually dredge the river cutting away both weeds and shelving bottoms, and leaving a perfect level for the lighters to pass over.

We are glad to see these improvements in the inland navigations of the country, and to see it so spiritedly taken up by the Barrow Navigation Company, who are, undoubtedly, in high confidence with the public from the satisfactory manner in which their business is attended to, and we sincerely wish them God speed in all their undertakings."

Carlow Post, 4 Feb 1860