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17th Fern’s Lock (Ferran’s Lock)
McLoughlin Bridge (36.20Km from Dublin)
Rye Water Feeder
Following restoration, the towpath is now located on the south bank.
Fern’s or Ferran’s Lock (double), the start of the 32 km Long Level to Thomastown. Immediately below 17th Lock an important feeder enters the canal drawn from the upper reaches of the Ryewater which accompanies the canal here for some distance. From the 17th Lock to Cloncurry Bridge is an attractive tree-lined stretch of waterway.
The stretch from Fern’s Lock to Enfield passes through Cappagh Bog and proved a laborious and expensive undertaking with problems caused by the sides slipping and the bottom swelling up. By 1800 the company was once again in financial difficulty and the works were halted just beyond Enfield.