Google estimates that the return walking trip to be around 1.5 hours but this does not allow for any time spent gathering the required info or looking for any of the other caches placed along this stretch.
The idea of connecting Dublin to the Shannon was proposed as early as 1715,and in 1757 the Irish Parliament granted Thomas Omer £20,000 to start construction of a canal. The work was substantially completed in 1803, but because of leakages and a dry summer the official opening had to be delayed until April 1804.
The whole work had cost in the region of £877,000 and it was some years before it began to make a profit, although regular dividends had been paid to shareholders. Trade increased from 100,000 tons in 1800 to double that in 1810. Revenues from passenger boats also increased to £90,000 by that date.
Starting from Clondalkin Bridge there is a pair of locks to the west with a water level rise of 15ft.
A: What is the lock number?
Continuing along the northern bank to Fonthill Road Bridge just before the next 2 locks. There are mooring stations for the barges to rest while waiting to enter the upcoming two locks.
B: What is the number at the top of the eastern support pillar?
Continuing along Ballymanagin Lane you will notice that you are climbing as these two locks have a combined rise of just over 20 feet. Passing by the now derelict Omer’s Lock Keepers House you will reach a modern sign erected by Waterways Ireland. The sign notifies you that you are in Clondalkin and there are three languages, Irish, English and one other on the sign.
Waterways Ireland is one of the six all-Ireland North/South implementation bodies established under the Belfast Agreement in 1999 and it aims to be fully inclusive to all traditions on the island.
C: What is the third language? Count the number of letters.
Keep heading west and you will come to the new dedicated pedestrian and cycle route from the Grand Canal Green Route to Griffeen Valley Park.
The bridge structure was designed as a structural steelwork superstructure on reinforced concrete columns. CSEA liased closely with the Architects Department of South Dublin County Council to design a bridge to be a landmark to the new Green Route. This included the inclusion of striking handrail/railing design and the provision of a unique colour paint to ensure the bridge is a beacon for the route. The bridge was designed as being fully compliant with universal accessibility providing ramped access to the Canal crossing.
D: According to the directional sign at the start of the ramp how many kilometres s it to Inchicore?
Follow the towpath west and you will soon be on Haydens Lane where the canal turns slightly to the left. Although this road is still open there is very little traffic on it.
Next you will reach the Lucan Road Bridge which is often referred to a the 12th Lock Bridge. This is a single-arch road bridge over canal, c.1770. Segmental arch with painted dressed voussoir stones set into smooth rendered west elevation. Roughcast rendered parapet with semi-circular coping stones and roughcast rendered pier faced with dressed granite blocks to each end. Bridge widened and refurbished, 1932.
In 1917 the RAF built Baldonnel Aerodrome and to transport all the materials and workers from Lucan South Train Station they built a temporary narrow gauge railway. This railway crossed the canal at this point and today the only remaining physical evidence of its existence are the 2 plinths on to the east of the bridge that carried the rails.
The Grand Canal Greenway starts at this bridge and at the time of construction the ESB laid 110 KV power lines for the adjacent Grange Castle Business Park.
E: On the south side of the bridge there is an ESB box, what number is it?
A few hundred meters along and you will meet the first kissing gate on the Greenway. At this point you will notice that the canal is wider here. You are at the Grange Winding Hole. winding hole is a widened area of a canal (used for turning a canal boat such as a narrowboat, of which there are 13 on this canal.)
F: On the south path just before you pass the first set of gates on the Greenway there is a street light, what number is on it?
The 8.5km off-road route goes from the Lock Road, near Adamstown and south Lucan, to the Blackhorse Luas stop at Inchicore. The off-road track includes nature-sensitive lighting and 66 monitored CCTV cameras. The €25 million project included 136,000 meters of ducting, 1,000 trees, 44,000 shrubs, 308 lights, 16 bat boxes, 12 otter holts, and five jetties.
This is one of the seated rest area along the route.
G: How many seats are here?
Take a seat and calculate the GZ location from the info you have collected with the following formula.
The cache is hidden at:
N 53 (C+D).((2(A+B+C+D+E+F+G))+((CxE)-A)) W 006 (DxG).((F-(AxC))
