River Transport versus Railway Transport

Suggestions that a railway line might be built linking Carlow with Dublin awakened fears of competition for the Barrow Navigation. Although hopes of a rail link were somewhat premature, some local interests appeared to welcome a change from the monopoly enjoyed by river transport. This contemporary account suggests that high prices might become a thing of the past when the railroad became a reality.

Boat monopoly on the Barrow

Extract taken from the Carlow Sentinel 1836

Carlow County Library

Boat monopoly on the Barrow
Carlow County Library

Boat monopoly on the Barrow

Extract taken from the Carlow Sentinel 1836

Carlow County Library

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Boat Monopoly on the Barrow

"We have received communications from several respectable mercantile men, complaining of a monopoly which exists on the Barrow and Grand Canal, that must materially affect the trade of respectable Corn Factors. The boat owners in order to keep up their exclusive monopoly, and to serve select customers, frequently refuse to convey corn belonging to certain buyers, while they afford private friends and customers all the advantages of a rise or fall in the Dublin Markets by transmitting their stock without delay. In consequence of this unjust conduct, several individuals have lost considerably by the late alteration in the corn market. How is this grievance to be remedied. The answer is plain, let the Barrow navigation and Grand Canal companies employ boats of their own along the line, to afford every facility to traders, and to break up the iniquitous monopoly of the boat owners. This is the proper way to secure every fair trader the advantages arising from the employment of his capital, and to benefit themselves. Should those respectable companies neglect doing so, we can assure them that the Rail Road projectors will augment the number of their friends in this county at the next meeting of Parliament." Carlow Sentinel 1836