With Eadon’s involvement in the Camden Lock restoration now complete, we’re taking a look back on a project that has helped breathe new life into an important part of Dublin’s waterways heritage.

Camden Lock is one of the largest and deepest locks on the city’s historic Grand Canal. For generations, it was an important link between the Grand Canal and the River Liffey, helping to support trade and transport across Ireland. But as commercial canal traffic decreased, it was used less and less and its original gates deteriorated.

Today, the story is changing. Situated within Dublin’s revitalised Grand Canal Dock, the restoration of Camden Lock forms part of a larger effort to reconnect the area with its industrial and maritime past. When the lock is back in use, it will once again let larger boats enter the basin.

While the wider restoration project is still ongoing, Eadon collaborated with Waterways Ireland and timber gate specialist Wijma to design and engineer key elements of the new lock gates, helping to move the project one step closer to completion.

The sheer scale of the gates meant they needed to be hydraulically operated and presented a number of unique engineering challenges. Our work included the design of the pintle and top anchor assemblies that form the primary hinge system, as well as the wheel-and-track arrangement that supports the huge gates during operation.

We also assisted with the hydraulic actuation design, helping determine the positioning and loading requirements for the cylinders responsible for opening and closing the gates.

Projects like Camden Lock show how modern engineering can help protect historic structures and make sure they are still useful today – allowing us the chance to use our technical skills for a wider social goal.

As our part in the project ends, it has been satisfying to watch our designs move from models to real structures on site. We are excited to see the next steps in the restoration and to watch Camden Lock become a working part of Dublin’s waterways once again. 

Photos courtesy of Waterways Ireland.