Category Archives: Economic activities

Barges, cots and subaltern waterways studies

Posted on Wednesday 1 August 2012 | Leave a comment

I am to speak at Jamestown, near Carrick-on-Shannon in Co Leitrim, on Saturday 4 August 2012. Jamestown is having its heritage festival, and large numbers of old (converted) barges will be there. I will be giving one of four talks; mine is entitled

Down with barges: why cots were the really important vessels on Irish inland waterways.

I will be citing His Late Majesty Henry VIII, Fid Def, in support of my contention.

Here is some of the background to my thinking. If you would like to hear more, do come along on the day: the talks are open to all.

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Posted in Economic activities, Extant waterways, Forgotten navigations, Industrial heritage, Ireland, Irish inland waterways vessels, Irish waterways general, Operations, People, Politics, Shannon, Sources, Suir, The cattle trade, The fishing trade, The turf trade, waterways, Waterways management

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109 days …

Posted on Wednesday 1 August 2012 | 4 comments

… and still no reply to the question I put to my insurance broker. Neither my reminder emails nor my telephone calls have elicited any information.

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Posted in Economic activities, Water sports activities, waterways

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Where do …

Posted on Tuesday 31 July 2012 | Leave a comment

… (a) correct ideas and (b) camper vans come from?

Correct ideas, as everyone is undoubtedly aware, come from three kinds of social practice: the struggle for production, the class struggle and scientific experiment.

Camper vans (or RVs: song on this page requiring Flash) may come to WI harbours because they’ve studied the Safe Nights Ireland website, which (inter alia) lists all the public toilets in Ireland (many counties have none) and the WI facilities.

Incidentally, I have been told that WI now welcomes camper vans, having persuaded Bord Fáilte that the economy won’t collapse if it recognises the reality that the vans use the harbours. However, I haven’t seen that in writing anywhere; if anyone can point me towards a reliable source, please leave a Comment below.

 

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Posted in Ashore, Economic activities, Extant waterways, Ireland, Irish waterways general, Non-waterway, Operations, Politics, Shannon, Sources, Tourism, waterways, Waterways management

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Working for Waterways Ireland

Posted on Tuesday 31 July 2012 | Leave a comment

What is the most important (because first listed) skill for those seeking employment with Waterways Ireland as general operatives (basic)?

Good communication skills.

I am very glad to hear it.

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Posted in Ashore, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Irish waterways general, Operations, People, waterways, Waterways management

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Our deeds determine us …

Posted on Tuesday 31 July 2012 | Leave a comment

… and Waterways Ireland wants to digitise its deeds:

Waterways Ireland house, in secure storage, an important collection of deeds / documents, in paper format, that relate to their assets and land interests throughout Ireland. Waterways Ireland wishes to appoint a service provider to digitise these on a rolling basis. […]

The deeds are broadly of two types:

– Multi-page land transfer deeds which are usually A3-A4 in size and stapled or bound. Many are DL folded.

– Large format title deeds, dating from late 18th century onwards. These are generally on velum, folded and A2 or greater in size.

Other maps and documents which may be required to size A0 and larger.

Incidentally, WI should decide whether it is, er, singular or plural.

 

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Posted in Economic activities, Industrial heritage, Ireland, Irish waterways general, Operations, waterways, Waterways management

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Waterways walks

Posted on Tuesday 31 July 2012 | Leave a comment

Look!

Waterways Ireland and a local authority have cooperated in opening a canalside walking and cycling path!

And an excitable minister opened it, saying

This has huge potential for tourism but it also has a huge knock on effect for communities in the health benefit facilities like this bring and this, in turn has benefits in reducing the press on our health services as well. I want to see more walkways because I want to see more people out walking and seeing the natural beauty that we here in Ireland are blessed to have around us.

And rightly so. But you don’t need an expensive canal in order to provide a walk.

 

 

 

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Posted in Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Foreign parts, Forgotten navigations, Irish waterways general, Natural heritage, Non-waterway, Operations, People, Politics, Restoration and rebuilding, Scenery, Ulster Canal, waterways, Waterways management

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Bertie Ahern

Posted on Friday 27 July 2012 | 2 comments

According to the Irish Times, writing about Clones:

[…] But people are trying hard to turn the tide: cleaning its buildings, promoting its hand-made lace, and hoping that the Monaghan part of the Ulster Canal will be re-opened.

The latter was a promise of former taoiseach Bertie Ahern. Clones is endearingly resistant to trends – it is still the proud capital of Irish country and western music although some admit that the best dancehall is Blacklion’s “ballroom of romance”.

I think Clones must be the last town in Ireland to cling to Bertie’s word.

Oh well, if Bertie says so ….

 

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Posted in Built heritage, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Foreign parts, Forgotten navigations, Industrial heritage, Ireland, Non-waterway, People, Politics, Restoration and rebuilding, Ulster Canal, waterways, Waterways management

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Water levels

Posted on Tuesday 17 July 2012 | Leave a comment

Not on the Shannon or on the Erne but on the Mississippi. It seems the level is now 53 feet below the flood level of last May and eight to ten feet below normal.

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Posted in Economic activities, Extant waterways, Foreign parts, Operations, Waterways management, Weather

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Tidal Barrow

Posted on Tuesday 17 July 2012 | Leave a comment

One of the government’s proposed schemes for saving the economy is a bypass of New Ross:

The N25 New Ross Bypass will provide approximately 13.6 kilometres of new road from Glenmore at the eastern border of Kilkenny and crossing over the River Barrow via a new bridge into Wexford.

That means it will cross around here. You should be able to see Glenmore west of the Barrow. The crossing will be in the area of navigation under the authority of the New Ross Port Company.

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Posted in Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Ireland, Operations, Politics, waterways, Waterways management

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Lasering bridges

Posted on Tuesday 17 July 2012 | Leave a comment

Here is a one-page article from the July/August issue of Engineering Inc, the magazine of the American Council of Engineering Companies. It’s about an American firm called Collins Engineers Inc, of Chicago, which is listing and assessing bridges and some other structures owned by Waterways Ireland. The project will run through 2015. The link relies on Flash, alas; if you prefer a PDF, try this link.

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Posted in Ashore, Built heritage, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Foreign parts, Industrial heritage, Ireland, Operations, Restoration and rebuilding, Waterways management

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