There were difficulties with the construction, and progress remained slow. At Coalisland, a large basin was constructed, which was supplied by a feeder from the River Torrent. The river carried quantities of stones, clay and silt, which clogged the basin, locks and levels once the water entered the canal. Of the seven locks required, the upper two were built on sand, while the lower three were built in a peat bog. Both environments required the sinking of piles and the provision of paved floors to the lock chambers, neither of which were adequately done. The lower reaches were very close to the river, which flooded it when there was plenty of water, and drained it when there was not. While the much longer Newry Canal has only taken ten years to complete, the Coalisland Canal was still not finished, and the work was financed by £25,000, awarded from public funds between 1746 and 1782.