Office of Public Works

The document I requested is called the Arbitration Navigation Award of the Commissioner of Public Works, dated June 1859. Its significance is that it elaborates the geographical and functional areas of responsibility of the Lough Corrib Navigation Trust (LCNT), which was established by the Drainage (Ireland) of 1856. The LCNT is a functioning public body to this day. It controls the navigation channel through Lough Corrib, the River Corrib, the Eglinton Canal and the Claddagh Basin. However, over time, its exact sphere of responsibilities has become unclear in certain areas, which has led to some disagreement and the deterioration of some places where ultimate responsibility is disputed. The only way to clear this up is to go back to the source document, then work from there to the present day