Waterways Ireland tender documents are a source of interesting and occasionally useful information. At present WI is looking for tenders for
Posted in Ashore, Built heritage, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Industrial heritage, Ireland, Irish waterways general, Operations, Restoration and rebuilding, Scenery, Sources, The turf trade, Tourism, waterways, Waterways management
Tagged canal, Ireland, Operations, Royal Canal, Shannon, turf, waterways, Waterways Ireland, weir
… just some of the things you can see from the Killimer to Tarbert ferry.
Actually, I lied about the weirs, but they were there once. As were the salmon.
Posted in Ashore, Built heritage, Charles Wye Williams, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Industrial heritage, Ireland, Irish inland waterways vessels, Irish waterways general, Natural heritage, Non-waterway, Operations, Scenery, shannon estuary, Sources, Steamers, The cattle trade, The fishing trade, The turf trade, Tourism, waterways, Waterways management, Weather
Tagged battery, boats, Clare, Endesa, ESB, estuary, ferry, flow, fort, Ireland, jetties, Kerry, Kilkerin, Killaloe, Killimer, Kilrush, lighthouse, Limerick, Napoleon, Operations, power station, quay, redoubt, Shannon, Tarbert, Tarbert Race, Tarbert Roads, vessels, waterways, weir, workboat
Ming Flanagan was the first to be elected a TD in the Roscommon South Leitrim constituency in the 2011 general election.
Ming launching himself on the Rockville Navigations
His sterling qualities were shown when, in September 2010, he kayaked down the Rockville Navigations, with a companion, to check this tourism and recreational resource (which I had brought to his attention in his capacity as Mayor of County Roscommon).
Another person on the side of righteousness is Paudie Coffey of Portlaw, mentioned favourably here; he was first home in Waterford, where he stood for Fine Gael.
Posted in Built heritage, Economic activities, Extant waterways, Forgotten navigations, Industrial heritage, Irish inland waterways vessels, Irish waterways general, Operations, Scenery, Suir, Water sports activities
Tagged 2011, boats, bridge, canal, Carrick-on-Suir, Clodiagh, Coffey, Dáil, Department of Community Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs, election, Ireland, Ireland waterways rockville, lock, lost, Malcolmson, Ming, Operations, Portlaw, quay, Rockville, Roscommon, Shannon, Suir, TD, turf, vessels, water level, Waterford, waterways, weir
I don’t know if you remember, but a few months ago we had sunshine, and it was warm outside. Back then, at the end of May in fact, I went on the Industrial Heritage Association of Ireland‘s tour of Carrick-on-Suir, Clonmel and areas in between.
In Carrick, Ralph O’Callaghan showed us some of the sights and addressed the group in the Heritage Centre. Here are some of the things he showed us.
Ralph O'Callaghan shows a model of a yawl (a horse-drawn boat used to carry goods between Carrick and Clonmel)
This yawl is equipped for sand-dredging
Note the large rudder
The yawl
A steel shoe for one of the 30' poles used by Suir and Barrow boatmen
A hand-made net for snap-net fishing
After lunch, I was fortunate to be one of two people who got a trip in Ralph O’Callaghan’s canoe, from Kilsheelan upstream to the Anner bridge just downstream of Sir Thomas’s Bridge, which is itself downstream of Clonmel.
I have set up a small (approx 120-photo) slide show to give an idea of the conditions on the Suir at the time. The water level was low after several dry weeks, but the previous winter’s floods may have left more silt than usual. At any event, a successful passage required Ralph’s skills and his intimate knowledge of the river and its weirs. You can see some of the weirs, and the gorgeous scenery, in the show.
I am very grateful to both Ralph O’Callaghan and Fred Hamond for facilitating the boat trip and for sharing their immense knowledge of the Suir.
If you like interesting boats, you’ll like Ralph’s canoe.
Posted in Ashore, Economic activities, Extant waterways, Forgotten navigations, Industrial heritage, Irish inland waterways vessels, Irish waterways general, Non-waterway, Operations, Scenery, The fishing trade, Weather
Tagged Anner, apple, Black Weir, boats, bridge, Bulmers, canal, canoe, Carrick-on-Suir, Clonmel, fishing hut, floods, flow, Gurteen, Gurteen Le Poer, IHAI< Ferd Hamond, Ireland, Killaloan, Kilsheelan, lost, Magners, Neal's Weir, Operations, orchard, Power's Weir, quay, Ralph O'Callaghan, Rodrigo Flash, Sir Thomas's bridge, Slievenamon, Suir, Tikincor, vessels, water level, waterways, weir
