Day 1: Dublin to Edenderry (Approx. 37 miles, 20 locks)

5:00 AM – Crew Wakes Up in St. James’s Harbour, Dublin

• The crew wakes up onboard after spending the previous day loading barrels of porter.
• Breakfast: Tea, porridge, and bread cooked on the barge stove.

6:00 AM – Depart St. James’s Harbour, Dublin

• The Bolinder engine is fired up, and the boat departs.
• First locks at Suir Road and Inchicore take time to clear.

9:00 AM – Arrive at Clondalkin (8 miles, 5 locks passed)

• The boat is now in west Dublin, clearing the last of the city locks.

12:00 PM – Arrive at Sallins/Celbridge (16 miles, 9 locks passed) – Lunch Break

• Crew moors at Sallins for a 30-minute break.
• Lunch: Boiled bacon, potatoes, and tea.

4:00 PM – Arrive at Robertstown (28 miles, 15 locks passed)

• Slow progress due to heavy lock navigation.
• Crew is tired but continues working.

10:00 PM – Arrive at Edenderry (37 miles, 20 locks passed) – Overnight Stop

• Boat is moored, and the crew eats a simple dinner of stew and bread before sleeping onboard.

Day 2: Edenderry to Belmont (Approx. 37 miles, 15 locks)

5:00 AM – Crew Wakes Up in Edenderry

• Quick breakfast of tea and bread.
•  Engine started early to warm up.

6:00 AM – Depart Edenderry

• Morning lock work slows progress.
• Passing through Daingean (Offaly).

12:00 PM – Arrive at Tullamore (20 miles, 6 locks passed) – Lunch Stop

• Lunch: Fried bacon, tea, and oat bread cooked on the boat.

5:00 PM – Arrive at Pollagh (30 miles, 12 locks passed)

• Locks taking longer than expected.
• Weather affecting progress.

10:00 PM – Arrive at Belmont (37 miles, 15 locks passed) – Overnight Stop

• Dinner: Fish stew (if fresh fish was caught) or boiled potatoes with salted beef.
• Crew sleeps onboard after a long, tiring day.

Day 3: Belmont to Shannon Harbour (Approx. 11 miles, 8 locks)

5:00 – Crew Wakes Up in Belmont

• A quick breakfast: Tea, porridge, and bread.

6:00 AM – Depart Belmont

• The last leg of the journey begins.

9:00 AM – Arrive at Shannon Harbour (11 miles, 8 locks passed)

• The barrels of porter are offloaded onto carts for distribution to nearby towns and villages.
• The crew rests briefly before preparing for a return journey or another assignment.

Final Summary of Journey

Notes on the Journey:

• At the time of this journey in 1946 there were 3 crew members - Master, Engineman, and the Deck-hand. The Master was the captain of the barge and had overall charge. The engineman’s title looked after the engine, while the deck-man had the job of generally keeping an eye on things.
• The crew ate meals on board, with simple food like porridge, bread, bacon, and stews.
• The crew lived at the front of the boat, where the cabin was located. Although not very wide the cabin was quite high. It has three bunks, a table, a stove and some cupboards. The bunks were not one above the other but were arranged along the sides of the cabin.
• Locks slowed the journey. There are 43 locks  on the Grand Canal, taking 10+ hours over 3 days. The Bolinder-powered engine made it much faster than the traditionally horse-drawn boats.
• The cargo (porter barrels) had to be secured carefully, shifting loads in bad weather could be dangerous.
• Boat speed (approximately 5 mph / 8 km/h)