Kinnegad photographers honoured ahead of Town Team AGM

Kinnegad Library hosted a well-attended award ceremony on Saturday, 17 October, for Through the Lens: The Heritage of Our Royal Canal Way, a photography competition organised by Kinnegad Town Team and supported by a Waterways Ireland Community Heritage and Biodiversity Grant.

The exhibition showcases six photographs submitted by members of the public and remains on display in the library until 22 October. The images capture the beauty, heritage and character of the Royal Canal between Blackshade Bridge near Clonard and Knead’s Bridge beside Mary Lynch’s near Coralstown.

During the event, Steven Skeldon of Kinnegad Town Team presented an illustrated talk on the history and significance of the Royal Canal and its enduring importance to Kinnegad and the surrounding area. Noel Murphy of Mullingar Camera Club spoke about the photography competition and shared practical advice on the art of ‘making’ (instead of ‘taking’) photographs.

Prizes were presented by Steven Skeldon and Noel Murphy to the winning photographers. First prize went to Ben Millett for Aurora Over Lock 24, while Andrea Avesani received second prize for Sunset at Darcy’s Bridge. Both were presented with framed colour copies of their photographs.

The stretch of canal passing Kinnegad and Killucan includes eight locks that raise the waterway to its summit level at Mullingar. The locks provide unique viewpoints of the local landscape while also highlighting the remarkable engineering of the canal. Their restoration was among the most challenging aspects of returning the Royal Canal to full navigation. The canal has 46 locks and of those 21 are in County Westmeath.

The exhibition offers visitors an opportunity to reflect on the rich heritage, biodiversity and engineering legacy of one of the region’s most important waterways.

The Kinnegad town Team will hold its AGM on Wednesday next, 21 October, at 7pm in Serenity House, Main Street, Kinnegad. All welcome.