Belfast's ill-fated Grand Canal

SELECTED EXTRACTS FROM GEORGE BENN'S HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF BELFAST (1877)

DONEGALL PLACE runs from 36 Castle Place to Donegall Square North.

In 1784 there was an advertisement for a plan of an intended new street leading from 36 Castle Place to the White Linen Hall (now City Hall, Donegall Square).

This new street, known as Linen Hall Street, was intended for private dwellings of the wealthy inhabitants of the town.

The leading gentry had exclusive possession, Lord Donegall's own house being at the corner of the new street.

A more detailed account of the opening of Donegall Place, through the old castle's gardens, has been put on record:-

"June 3rd 1785.  The ground for building the new street from our White Linen Hall to the Parade [Castle Place] is now thrown open, and brick and other materials for the work laid down ..."

"The entrance from the Parade to the right and left will be finely introduced by elegant iron pallisading and adequate globe stands raised from clean brick walls coped with free stone on front of Lord Donegall's and the Collector's houses curving beautifully towards the northern ends of each."

"The new buildings to commence at the southern extremity of said pallisading, and run forward to the banks of the intended canal which is to pass in front of the Linen Hall, and so separate the said street from that great building, the view of which forms a pleasant termination  to the south." 

"A drawbridge will be thrown across  the canal in front of the Linen Hall, and another range of buildings incline to the east along the banks of the canal quay. The new street [Donegall Place] to be 80 feet wide ..."

Chart dated 1796 from Benn's History of Belfast. Click to Enlarge

These grand schemes were not executed, except the construction of Donegall Place.

The beautiful pallisading and the adequate globe stands were left to be perfected by the next generation, the members of which appear to have neglected the duty ... but, above all, the intended canal with its quay and drawbridge never went beyond a paper representation. 

To that extent the canal, passing in front of the Linen Hall, is shown on maps of the period; so certain did its completion appear that the sanguine map-maker imagined he might safely stamp it as an accomplished fact.