Category Archives: Extant waterways

Rowing to Dublin …

Posted on Friday 22 April 2011 | Leave a comment

… to visit King Dan.

In prison.

From Kerry, via the Grand Canal.

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Posted in Extant waterways, Irish inland waterways vessels, People, Politics, shannon estuary

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Killaloe

Posted on Thursday 21 April 2011 | Leave a comment

The installation of the new pontoon, the flood control gates (flash lock) and the walkway continues apace.

Walkway (left) and pontoon from the lockhouse

The lower (nearer) section of pontoon may be for the lakeboat hire business

Boats mooring on the lower end of the pontoon, and turning to approach upstream, may get quite close to the bridge. The navigation markers may confuse too: perhaps they’ll be relocated.

The flood control gates (flash lock?)

From upstream (and uphill)

It all looks very nice. There are lots of people working on site.

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Posted in Ashore, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Restoration and rebuilding, Tourism, Water sports activities, Waterways management

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Clontarf to Clondra II

Posted on Wednesday 20 April 2011 | Leave a comment

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.

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Posted in Built heritage, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Irish inland waterways vessels, Operations, People, Restoration and rebuilding, Scenery, Tourism, Water sports activities, Waterways management

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Keeping Galway dry

Posted on Tuesday 19 April 2011 | Leave a comment

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

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Posted in Ashore, Built heritage, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Industrial heritage, Operations, Waterways management

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The Ulster Canal and the NI Assembly elections

Posted on Tuesday 19 April 2011 | Leave a comment

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

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Posted in Built heritage, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Forgotten navigations, Industrial heritage, Operations, Restoration and rebuilding, Tourism, Waterways management

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Clontarf to Clondra

Posted on Monday 18 April 2011 | Leave a comment

The Clontarf Yacht & Boat Club, recreating the Club’s 1925 trip, entered the Royal Canal sea lock from the Liffey on Saturday morning, 16 April 2011; some boats have reached Abbeyshrule this evening, and they hope to reach Clondra tomorrow evening, which will be four days from the Liffey.

That’s very fast: for Blanchardstown to/from Clondra, IWAI Dublin Branch estimated 5 days X 8 hours and I estimated 6 days X 7 hours, plus another day from the Liffey to Blanchardstown (12th Lock). I understand that CYBC has been doing very long days; I’ll get details later. In the meantime, well done CYBC.

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Posted in Extant waterways, Irish inland waterways vessels, Operations, Restoration and rebuilding, Tourism, Water sports activities

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Royal steam

Posted on Friday 15 April 2011 | 6 comments

How many steamers were used on the Royal Canal? The standard answer is five, but the right answer might be nine or ten. Read about Fishbourne, the unknown carrier, here.

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Posted in Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Forgotten navigations, Industrial heritage, Irish inland waterways vessels, Operations, Steamers, The cattle trade

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Power play

Posted on Thursday 14 April 2011 | Leave a comment

The ESB owns or controls certain parts of Hayes Island, in the middle of Portumna Bridge, on the Shannon at the upper end of Lough Derg. Many boats moor to the island: some had long-standing agreements with ESB and others had indirect arrangements. ESB has now, by posting a notice on a gate, given the boat-owners 21 days to remove their boats. It seems that the ESB was officially unaware that it had boats moored on its land, although it certainly made agreements with some of the boaters and it supplied electricity to others.

I have asked the ESB press office for information but it has not yet replied.

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Posted in Ashore, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Irish inland waterways vessels, Operations, Tourism, Water sports activities, Waterways management

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Lough Ree

Posted on Wednesday 13 April 2011 | Leave a comment

Unlike Loughs Derg, Erne and Neagh, Lough Ree does not have a Coast Guard approved declared-resource rescue service, although Athlone Sub Aqua Club, Waveline/Quigley’s and no doubt others have provided help to boats in trouble. Now, it seems, Damien Delaney is hoping to set up a formal, approved service, according to the Wesstmeath Examiner.

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Posted in Extant waterways, Operations, People, Tourism, Water sports activities, Waterways management

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ESB cuts

Posted on Saturday 9 April 2011 | Leave a comment

My spies (who are everywhere) tell me that the ESB has issued notices to owners of some boats moored at Hayes’s Island, Portumna, telling them to remove their boats within some short period. At least one owner has a long-standing legal agreement with the ESB, although it does allow ESB to issue short notice.

Further information would be welcome.

 

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Posted in Ashore, Economic activities, Extant waterways, Irish inland waterways vessels, Operations, Tourism, Waterways management

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