Harnessing the river and navigation for trading purposes was of prime importance to the region and the improvement of the Barrow waterway in general.
Today, the river is navigable with light craft and barges as far as Athy. A canal system will take one further north.
An official history of the river begins with the first act of law passed in 1517 and follow official management of the canals to the latest act in 1996. The first act can be assumed to be the creation of the canal system that is still in use today.