New Book on the Mountmellick Canal

A new book on the built and natural heritage of the Mountmellick Canal has been published by Laois County Council with the assistance of the Heritage Council.

The book was inspired and informed by a detailed survey of the industrial heritage and wildlife of the now disused canal branch line from Monasterevin to Mountmellick, which was carried out in 2006 by Fred Hamond and John Feehan. Previous work by members of the Heritage Council Waterways Committee and the Inland Waterways Association of Ireland was also very helpful in drawing together the story of the Canal.

Family archive photos and interviews with local people around Mountmellick and Portarlington are used throughout the book to bring the social history of the Canal to life. Details of the wildlife and habitats that have flourished along the line of the Canal since it closed to boat traffic form a fascinating other side to the story of the Canal.

The book has been designed and written for a general audience and it is hoped that it will bring the story of canals in Ireland to a wider audience.

Copies are available free of charge from Catherine Casey, Heritage Officer, Laois County Council, Portlaoise, Co Laois. The book can also be downloaded in pdf format. The original technical report is also available to download.