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Though the branch line was completed by 1796, it was ten more years before the harbour was
opened; construction continued for some years afterwards. The harbour’s location was chosen
for its proximity to the markets and the law courts. Bolton Street was the preferred site, but high
land prices and objections from local residents forced its relocation. The King’s Inns, designed
by James Gandon, was built opposite the harbour and, like Gandon’s Four Courts and Custom
House, was designed with its frontage on a waterfront.
By 1807 a regular passage boat service was operating to Mullingar. In subsequent years the
area was a hive of industry, with many hotels and inns and the trade boats using the wharfage
and stores at the harbour.
For more information read more @ Irish Waterways History