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Victoria Lock (River Shannon)

Coordinates: 53°10′03″N 8°04′47″W / 53.1674907°N 8.0796748°W / 53.1674907; -8.0796748
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53°10′03″N 8°04′47″W / 53.1674907°N 8.0796748°W / 53.1674907; -8.0796748

Meelick Lock on the River Shannon

Victoria Lock, also known as Meelick Lock, is the first lock on the River Shannon upstream of Lough Derg, it is situated between Meelick, County Galway and Clonahenoge, County Offaly where the Little Brosna River enters the Shannon. It is very near the tripoint where the provinces of Munster, Leinster and Connacht meet. The lock is of architectural and technical interest and is listed on the Nation Inventory of Architectural Heritage, the dimensions are 142 ft x 40 ft.[1][2][3] Thomas Rhodes on the instructions of the Shannon Commissioners constructed the lock in the 1840s as part of a widescale upgrade of the Shannon Navigation. The lock is still in use today by pleasure craft, both private and fleets of rental cruisers who use the River Shannon and the connecting canals. A second lock, Hamilton Lock is also located nearby but is now disused.

Protected status

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Offaly County Council lists both the lock and the lock keepers cottage on its Record of Protected Structures (ref 38-05 & 38-04).[4]

The lock is recorded by the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage as being of special interest in the architectural and technical interest categories in addition to being significant for its size.[3] The lock leepers house is similarly described as being of special interest in the architectural and technical interest categories.[5]

References

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  1. ^ "IWAI - Shannon Locks and Bridges". Iwai.ie. Archived from the original on 28 March 2013. Retrieved 21 May 2013.
  2. ^ "IWAI - The Shell Guide to the River Shannon". Iwai.ie. Archived from the original on 7 February 2012. Retrieved 21 May 2013.
  3. ^ a b "Victoria Lock, County Offaly: Buildings of Ireland: National Inventory of Architectural Heritage". Buildingsofireland.ie. Archived from the original on 2 February 2014. Retrieved 21 May 2013.
  4. ^ "Record of Protected Structures" (PDF). Offaly County Development Plan. February 2009. Archived (PDF) from the original on 31 January 2014. Retrieved 6 July 2013.
  5. ^ "Victoria Lock, County Offaly: Buildings of Ireland: National Inventory of Architectural Heritage". Buildingsofireland.ie. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 21 May 2013.