Category Archives: Industrial heritage

Transports of delight

Posted on Thursday 26 May 2011 | Leave a comment

While this site is about waterways transport, a railway or two has sneaked in, and so it may be permissible to mention road transport too. The transport museum at Howth is looking after as aspect of our heritage that the National Museum has ignored: the preservation of old road vehicles. Its collection includes commercial, passenger, military, utility and fire & emergency vehicles, and the museum needs (and deserves) support.

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Posted in Ashore, Built heritage, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Industrial heritage, Ireland, Non-waterway, Restoration and rebuilding

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The National Museum

Posted on Tuesday 24 May 2011 | Leave a comment

Why at least three quarters of its items should be dumped.

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Posted in Ashore, Built heritage, Economic activities, Industrial heritage, Ireland, Non-waterway, Operations, The cattle trade, Tourism

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Garryowen and Dover Castle

Posted on Wednesday 11 May 2011 | Leave a comment

In 1840 the rival steamers Dover Castle and Garryowen competed for traffic on the Shannon Estuary. While I know of no pictures of the steamers (if you know of any, please let me know), we have a reasonable amount of information about their operations. I discuss some aspects of those operations here. For an explanation of the page title, see here, but do not be diverted down this byway.

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Posted in Built heritage, Charles Wye Williams, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Forgotten navigations, Industrial heritage, Irish inland waterways vessels, Operations, People, Scenery, shannon estuary, Sources, Steamers, The cattle trade, The turf trade, Tourism, Water sports activities, Waterways management

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Deaths at Portlaw

Posted on Wednesday 11 May 2011 | Leave a comment

On 7 April 2010 two canoeists were drowned at a weir in Portlaw, on the River Clodiagh. The Marine Casualty Investigation Board report on the matter has just been published. It says inter alia:

  • This weir cannot be run.
  • The design of this weir made it impassable regardless of the waterflow over it.
  • The weir at Portlaw is, by design, next to impossible to escape
    from without the use of lifebuoys and or an access ladder.

The report does not say who designed and built this weir or when it
was done. I have asked Waterford County Council for information.

According to the Irish Independent, the families of the canoeists are considering legal action.

Some news stories about weirs at Portlaw here, here and here.

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Posted in Ashore, Built heritage, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Forgotten navigations, Industrial heritage, Irish inland waterways vessels, Operations, People, Scenery, Suir, Water sports activities, Waterways management

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Sailing in Athlone

Posted on Tuesday 10 May 2011 | Leave a comment

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

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Posted in Ashore, Built heritage, Economic activities, Extant waterways, Industrial heritage, Irish inland waterways vessels, Operations, People, Sources, The turf trade, Tourism

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The Broadstone pontoon

Posted on Tuesday 10 May 2011 | Leave a comment

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.

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Posted in Ashore, Built heritage, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Forgotten navigations, Industrial heritage, Irish inland waterways vessels, Non-waterway, Operations, Rail, The turf trade, Tourism, Waterways management

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Steamer for sale (171 years ago)

Posted on Wednesday 4 May 2011 | Leave a comment

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

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Posted in Built heritage, Economic activities, Extant waterways, Forgotten navigations, Industrial heritage, Irish inland waterways vessels, Operations, shannon estuary, Steamers, Tourism

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Canals and labour history

Posted on Thursday 28 April 2011 | Leave a comment

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.

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Posted in Ashore, Built heritage, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Industrial heritage, Irish inland waterways vessels, Irish waterways general, Operations, People, Politics, Waterways management

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Lartigue

Posted on Wednesday 27 April 2011 | Comments Off on 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.

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Posted in Ashore, Built heritage, Engineering and construction, Industrial heritage, Rail, Restoration and rebuilding, shannon estuary, Tourism

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Alliance Party (NI) backs Ulster Canal

Posted on Thursday 21 April 2011 | Leave a comment

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.

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Posted in Built heritage, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Industrial heritage, Operations, Politics, Restoration and rebuilding, Waterways management

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