Lagan Canal

Lagan Navigation
McLeave's Lock, which retains its original footbridge and lock keeper's cottage
Specifications
Length	44 km (27 miles)
Locks	27
Status	part extant, part destroyed
History
Original owner	Lagan Navigation Co
Principal engineer	Thomas Omer
Date of act	1753
Date of first use	1763
Date closed	1958
Geography
Start point	Belfast
End point	Lough Neagh

v t e Lagan Canal
Legend
Belfast Harbour 1-3 Locks (3) Shaws Bridge Purdysburn River 4-6 Locks (3) Drumbridge 7 McQuiston’s Lock M1 motorway 8 Ward’s Lock Ballyskeagh Bridge 9 Lambeg Lock Lambeg Bridge 10 Hilden Lock 11 Scott’s Lock 12 Hanna’s Lock Union Bridge 13 Becky Hogg’s Lock Ravernet River Moore's Bridge 14-17 Union Locks (4) Under M1 motorway Spencer's Bridge aqueduct River Lagan End of motorway section Moira Askew Railway Bridge Broadwater Flood gates Aghalee Bridge 19-20 Locks (2) Sherrin's Bridge 21-26 Locks (6) Crannagh Bridge 27 Lock River Bann + Lough Neagh Upper Bann + Newry Canal R Blackwater + Ulster Canal

The Lagan Canal was a 44-kilometre (27 mi) canal built to connect Belfast to Lough Neagh. The first section, which is a river navigation, was opened in 1763, and linked Belfast to Lisburn. The second section from Lisburn to Lough Neagh includes a small amount of river navigation, but was largely built as a canal. At its peak it was one of the most successful of the Irish canals,^[1] but ultimately it was unable to compete with road and rail transport, and the two sections were closed in 1954 and 1958. The central section from Sprucefield to Moira was destroyed by the construction of the M1 motorway in the 1960s. Responsibility for most of its remains passed first to the Department of Agriculture and then to the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure, although the section between Aghalee Bridge and Lough Neagh, including the final ten locks, passed into private ownership. There is an active campaign to re-open the canal, including reinstatement of the central section.