A Shifting Shoreline: Lough Har
Centuries ago, the area around Kilmore Quay looked very different. Water shaped not only the coastline but also much of the land inland. On the north-western side of the parish lay Lough Har, a vast lake that covered nearly one-eighth of Kilmore parish.
This lake used to stretch from the lower end of Ballyteigue Burrow all the way inland to Bridgetown. Today, you can still trace its former eastern edge by following Ballyteige Road, which runs parallel to the Burrow. Lough Har played an important role in local life. Until the mid-1800s, it supported over 60 boats and served as a key trading hub. Goods such as coal, roofing slate, potatoes, oats, hay, and timber passed through the lake. Larger vessels anchored near Inish Island, while smaller boats carried goods to the Inish Island (then owned by the Boxwell family), the primary landing point around the shore.
Large-scale drainage projects
By the mid-19th century, natural silting was gradually filling the lake, making it difficult for boats to pass. This threatened the livelihoods of local traders and fishermen.
Plans were proposed to drain the wetlands, but not everyone agreed. Many feared that building embankments would block waterways and harm trade, especially imports from Wales.
Two major events helped move the project forward:
- The Drainage (Ireland) Act of 1842, which allowed large drainage schemes
- The Great Famine (1846–1849), which left many people in need of work
The Land Improvement Act of 1847 provided funding for public works, giving people employment—often for very low pay, such as “three pence and a pound of maize” per day.
The drainage of Lough Har was carried out in four main stages:
- The Cull Bank
An earthen barrier called the Cull Bank was built across Ballyteige Lough to block incoming tides. It stretched 401 metres and was reinforced on the sea side with a strong stone wall made from rock quarried in nearby Seafield.
“The Cull wall […] has played a crucial role in transforming tidal estuary into productive polderland. Over the decades, it has been maintained and upgraded to protect local homes, farmland, and infrastructure from flooding. Today, it remains a vital feature of the landscape, both for its engineering heritage and its role in supporting the ecological integrity of the Ballyteige Burrow SAC and SPA.”
(Extract from the Appropriate Assessment Screening and Natura Impact Statement: Repair of Stone Along Flood Walls and Pipe Outfall at Cull and Lacken, written by Deborah D’Arcy. August 2023.p.26)
- The Bridgetown Canal
The five-mile Bridgetown Canal was dug out and lined with high dirt banks (called levees) to act both as:
- a giant gutter carrying rainwater and runoff away from the newly dried-out farmland to avoid flooding
- a key trade route between Duncormick and Bridgetown, where smaller boats known as lighters carried goods through the area. The canal enabled the transport of coal and “culm” from South Wales, the delivery of bricks for major projects such as the railway bridge at Mill O’Rags, and the export of local produce like potatoes and grain back to Wales.
- Two separate drainage networks
Two separate drainage systems were put in place. The Ballyteige system led to the Cull Bank, where a dam was fitted with four large sluice doors. The second system directed water to sluices at the sea walls at Blackstone.
These sluices were designed to release built-up water during falling tides. Smaller flap-valve sluices opened automatically under water pressure, while the larger doors had to be opened by hand at the right time in the tidal cycle.
- New Road
The project also improved travel by creating a new road across the reclaimed land. This connected Kilmore Quay directly with Baldwinstown, Rathangan, and Duncormick.
The Excavation of the Cutting
However, it soon became clear that a single outlet was not sufficient for such a large area, and flooding continued to occur regularly in the area. To address this issue, a complementary outfall system was built to the east between 1883 and 1886. This second phase of work included the creation of new drainage channels with the excavation of the Cutting and the construction of a Sluice House in Kilmore Quay.
William Lewis, a Civil Engineer, served as the principal technical lead for the Kilmore Quay drainage and land recovery efforts in 1885. Working alongside him were the Pierce brothers, Philip and Martin, whose renowned Wexford ironworks provided the mechanical expertise for the project. Their company was responsible for creating the specialized heavy equipment, including pile-drivers and custom iron components as well as explosives, essential for many drainage projects throughout South Wexford. Additionally, the Pierces’ firm was instrumental in producing and maintaining the robust iron gates and sluice systems located at Kilmore.
Modern times
The sluice gates at Kilmore Quay were automated in the mid-1990s, when the Office of Public Works (OPW) upgraded the drainage system. This marked the end of an era. Phil Redmond became the last resident sluice keeper at Kilmore Quay but his former home is still locally known as “Phil Redmond’s cottage”.
Today, the Cutting in Kilmore Quay remains a lasting example of remarkable engineering and industrial achievement. From the Forlorn to the Inish, its old stone walls and pier-like structure near the viewing point stand as a testament to the determination of 19th-century workers, who carved through solid rock to help secure the land’s future for farming.
References
Hurley, Jim. 2008. Development Plan for the Property of Ballyteige Burrow (owned by Kilmore Quay Community Development Association Ltd). Kilmore: SWC.
Monaghan, J. 1992. The Island of Inish or “Enish‟? In Kilmore Parish Journal 1992-93, page 23. Kilmore: Tomhaggard-Mulrankin Muintir na Tire Council.
Mulvany, W. T. 1845. On the drainage and improvement of Ballyteigue Lough. Transactions of the Institute of Civil Engineers of Ireland. Volume 1, pages 106-108.
O‟Brien, S. 2005. Flat lands: Victorian Legacy in Kilmore Parish Journal No 34, 2005-06. Kilmore: Kilmore Parish Journal Committee.
O‟Keeffe, S. 2007. Trapping on the Burrow in Kilmore Parish Journal No 36, 2007-08. Kilmore: Kilmore Parish Journal Committee.
Power, J. 1975. A Lake that stretched to Bridgetown in Kilmore Parish Journal, No. 4 (1975/76), pages 24-25. Kilmore: Tomhaggard-Mulrankin Muintir na Tire Council.
Russell, E. 1844. Report to the Commissioners on the Proposed Drainage, Reclamation and Embankment of Lands in the Ballyteige District. Dublin: Her Majesty’s Stationery Office.
Scallan, E. 1999. Bridgetown Canal in Kilmore Parish Journal. No 28, 1999-2000. Kilmore: Kilmore Parish Journal Committee.
