Description
The Cong Canal by Peter Dillon tells, for the first time, the full story of the events that led to the abandonment of the so-called dry canal at Cong, County Mayo. As famine raged in Ireland in the 1840s, the government organisation known as the Board of Works commenced work on a canal to link Lough Mask in County Mayo to Lough Corrib in County Galway. After six years of back-breaking toil by hundreds of starving labourers, the work was abruptly halted. The abandoned canal has remained an enigma for nearly two centuries. Now, following meticulous archive research, Peter Dillon has unravelled the mystery of the Cong Canal. In this authoritative well-written account, he sets out with outstanding clarity the technical details of the canal’s design and construction – and abandonment, and skilfully weaves the story into the background of a famine-stricken land, political intrigue and government inquiries.
More information about the village of Cong is available at DiscoverCong.com
