1845 Royal Canal disaster

Summary

The Royal Canal disaster of 1845 occurred on the evening of 25 November 1845 along the Royal Canal near Clonsilla, County Dublin, Ireland. The night boat Longford, on its way from Dublin to the town of Longford, was accidentally steered into the canal bank, causing it to tip and take on water before sinking. Overloading of the boat and the rocky nature of the canal bank where the incident occurred may have contributed to the sinking, as the weight of the passengers shifted unexpectedly when the bow struck a solid obstacle. Of the 54 people on board at the time of the accident, 15 died.