Clonahenoge (''Cluain Fheannóg'' in

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

) is a

townland A townland ( ga, baile fearainn; Ulster-Scots: ''toonlann'') is a small geographical division of land, historically and currently used in Ireland and in the Western Isles in Scotland, typically covering . The townland system is of Gaelic orig ...

in County Offaly,

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

. It is located at the confluence of the

Little Brosna River The Little Brosna River ( ga, An Bhrosnach Bheag) rises near Dunkerrin, County Offaly, Ireland. It flows for 36 miles before joining the River Shannon. Course The river rises near Dunkerrin, and flows near Birr; it forms part of the bounda ...

and the River Shannon.

Structures of note

Hamilton Lock and the Clonahenoge

canal Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface flo ...

were built about 1755 to allow river traffic to bypass the Meelick rapids on the River Shannon. The

lock Lock(s) may refer to: Common meanings *Lock and key, a mechanical device used to secure items of importance *Lock (water navigation), a device for boats to transit between different levels of water, as in a canal Arts and entertainment * ''Lock ...

is now disused, replaced by nearby Victoria lock, although the lock keepers cottage with roughcast walls (built 1755) is still in use for its original purpose. The lock is listed by the

National Inventory of Architectural Heritage The National Inventory of Architectural Heritage (NIAH) maintains a central database of the architectural heritage of the Republic of Ireland covering the period since 1700 in complement to the Archaeological Survey of Ireland, which focuses on ar ...

(a service provided by the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht) as being of special interest. Meelick Lock

Victoria Lock is the first lock on the River Shannon upstream of Lough Derg. The locks dimensions are 142 ft x 40 ft. The Shannon Commissioners had the lock constructed in the 1840s as part of a widescale upgrade of the Shannon Navigation. The lock is of architectural and technical interest and is still in use today by pleasure boats, both private and fleets of rental cruisers who use the River Shannon and the connecting canals. The cast iron bollards at the lockside were made by

Fenton, Murray and Jackson Fenton, Murray and Jackson was an engineering company at the Round Foundry off Water Lane in Holbeck, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. Fenton, Murray and Wood Fenton Murray and Wood was founded in the 1790s by ironfounder Matthew Murray and ...

Engineers of

Leeds Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by popula ...

. A detached three-bay single-storey stone lock keeper's house (1843) is constructed from stone with a slate roof pierced by two stone chimneys. Although only single storey with a projecting central bay the house is a pleasing addition to the surrounding 19th-century development. The lock and cottage are both listed by the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage as being of special interest. Meelick Martello Tower is a

Martello tower Martello towers, sometimes known simply as Martellos, are small defensive forts that were built across the British Empire during the 19th century, from the time of the French Revolutionary Wars onwards. Most were coastal forts. They stand u ...

constructed on Moran Island in the River Shannon. The tower was built about 1811 to protect the river at Meelick where rapids provide a fording opportunity. Unusually the tower is cam-shaped with three gun emplacements. It reinforced the existing defences at Keelogue Battery on Incherky Island.

References

{{reflist Townlands of County Offaly Geography of County Offaly Populated places on the River Shannon