Unfortunately the canal on the River Nore was never finished. The start of the canal is marked on Rocque’s map of Kilkenny, published in 1758. The whole project was abandoned in 1761 and no barges ever made the journey from Inistioge. The land used to construct the canal was eventually turned into a public walk and park for the citizens of Kilkenny.
Edmond Smithwick marked his year as Mayor (1844) by providing at his own cost, a decorative iron gateway and palisading at the city entrance to the walk. The gates no longer exist, but substantial cast-iron plaques recording the gift, which adorned the gate piers, are now preserved in Rothe House.
The next Mayor, Doctor Robert Cane, paid for the erection of the Lodge House which still exists. It was both decorative and functional, being the residence of a council employee who would look after the Walk and patrol it as necessary. The attractive cottage no longer residential. On the front of the lodge facing Canal Square is a plaque which reads as follows: “This slab is inscribed by Alderman O’Donnell, Mayor 1885, to the memory of Alderman Robert Cane who during his second year of Mayoralty in 1849 devoted his salary to the erection of this lodge”.
There is another plaque built into the Castle wall. It commemorates improvements effected in 1861 during the Mayoralty of Thomas Power, whose extensive establishment in High Street was the City’s leading ironmonger’s. As well as providing a pleasant promenade close to the city, the Walk was a venue for entertainment provided by local bands, and particularly those of Regiments stationed in the city at different times. The base of a bandstand, can be seen beyond the new car park at the foot of the lane between Dukes Meadows and the Castle grounds.
The Nore River valley plays a pivotal role in the life of Kilkenny City, Bennettsbridge and much of the surrounding county.
This well is located on the Canal Walk on the bank of the River Nore and describing it is a bit complicated. In August 2018 a local told me that this was a holy well dedicated to St Bridget (that could apply to most of the wells in Ireland but on the following day another person told me that it was nothing more than a natural spring or well and to be honest I was more inclined to believe the second person.
I visited the area again in July 2021 and September 2022. In 2018 a dog-walker told me that it is known as “Crow’s Well” but at the time I believed that she may have been incorrect as my understanding is that Crow’s Well Lock is at Fennessey’s Mill. However, I was unable to locate a well at Fennessy’s Mill [Archersgrove Mill] when I visited in September 2022. However, I recently discovered that Crow’s well was identified as Spa Well on some old maps and that the well, at Fennessey’s Mill, is so overgrown with briars and bushes that it is almost impossible to locate it. However, information provided by the dog-walker was much more useful than that provided by others.
According to the the local council Crow’s Well Canal Lock is at Archersgrove