Killeen's Lock

This canal forms part of the Limerick Navigation and was constructed in the 1790s to bypass the unnavigable falls in the Shannon near Killaloe; this part of the navigation system was known as Killeen’s Lock.

In the early 19th century steam navigation introduced cheaper and more efficient travel on the river and Killaloe became the headquarters of the Inland Steam Navigation Company.

This stone building was the Goods Store and was built by the Company circa 1880.

Goods would be loaded to and unloaded from barges at this point and local businesses would collect their goods from here by cart. The carts can be seen on the right of the image.

The introduction of the Railway line to Ballina/Killaloe in 1862 meant that goods could be transported more efficiently making river transport less popular. However barges were still used to transport the world famous Guinness and other bulk goods throughout the country until the 1950s.