Category Archives: Built heritage

Sailing in Athlone

Athlone, from The Tourist's Illustrated Hand-Book for Ireland 3rd ed David Bryce, London 1854

The Broadstone pontoon

On my page about the Broadstone Line of the Royal Canal, I say this:

In 1845, the Midland Great Western Railway Company (MGWR) bought the Royal Canal. Doing so allowed it to run its lines beside the canal, which it did most of the way to Mullingar, without having to conduct lengthy negotiations about wayleaves with individual landowners. The company built a terminus at the Broadstone, with a pontoon bridge (which was moved out of the way when boats entered or left the harbour) to provide passengers with access to the station.

I have found a picture of the arrangement. Here it is.

The Broadstone, from The Tourist's Illustrated Hand-Book for Ireland 3rd ed David Bryce, London 1854

The pontoon looks rather solid, but there is a canal-boat heading for it and the canal clearly continues on the far side.

I have added the pic to the Broadstone page.

Steamer for sale (171 years ago)

The ad for the sale of the Shannon Estuary steamer Dover Castle in 1840.

Canals and labour history

The building and the use of Irish inland waterways, by navvies and boatmen respectively, will be discussed at the May Day Labour History School, to be held at Athy Community Arts Centre on Saturday 30 April 2011. The events of the day (copied from here):

12pm-4.00pm: photographic exhibition commemorating the workers who built the canals and the boatmen who transported the goods throughout the canal network.

2pm-2.15pm: Official Opening of the Festival by the Mayor of Athy

2.15pm-4.00pm: series of talks examining the socio-economic and cultural impact that the opening of the canals had on provincial life. The typical life of the early navvies and boatmen will be brought to life, and the struggle for improvement in conditions leading to early Trade Union formation will also be explored.

8.00pm: A concert of Labour and Workers’ songs, featuring two of Dublin’s well-known balladeers, Tom Crean and Jimmy Kelly. The concert will be preceded by a Wine Reception at 7.30pm.

More details of the weekend here or here (PDF). I wouldn’t bother trying the SIPTU site: I couldn’t find the info there.

Lartigue

I’ve just changed the link on my Lartigue Monorail website to link to their new, more elegant web pages rather than the old. I’m giving both here just in case the new changes to the old …. Well worth visiting, the Lartigue.

Alliance Party (NI) backs Ulster Canal

From the party’s 2011 manifesto:

Inland waterways and fisheries
Alliance calls for recognition of the needs to sustainably develop our inland waterways and fisheries – protecting and enhancing their bio-diversity while at the same time developing their recreational and leisure potential.

Alliance supports the regeneration and development of our inland waterways system, including the re-opening of the Ulster Canal. We recognise that funding needs to be explored on a partnership basis with interested bodies.

Alliance believes that improving water quality, including the revision of pollution controls, and appropriate planning measures are priorities for the effective and efficient management of inland waterways, recreational angling and commercial fisheries. We believe that increased co-operation between angling organisations and other environmental bodies would be beneficial, for example in meeting the challenge of biodiversity.

Alliance is committed to supporting the work of the North/South Body on Inland Waterways, to ensure a co-ordinated approach in border areas and to develop their potential throughout both areas.

Clontarf to Clondra II

Maark Gleeson of Clontarf Yacht & Boat Club has kindly given me details of the Club’s recent trip along the Royal, with notes on the time taken and some useful advice, especially about the tides in Dublin.

Keeping Galway dry

A page about the ESB pumping stations on the embankments above Portumna.

The Ulster Canal and the NI Assembly elections

The importance of the Ulster Canal is shown in the number of times it is mentioned in the election manifestos of the political parties.

Number of mentions of Ulster Canal in DUP manifesto: 0
Number of mentions of Ulster Canal in SDLP manifesto: 0
Number of mentions of Ulster Canal in Sinn Féin manifesto: 0
Number of mentions of Ulster Canal in TUV manifesto: 0
Number of mentions of Ulster Canal in UUP manifesto: 0

Not at all boring

A Shannon Commissioners quay that is not at all boring. Shipbuilding,
barges, mud: what’s not to like?