Category Archives: Irish waterways general

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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The disappearance of the Erne Canal

Posted on Wednesday 27 April 2011 | 2 comments

In February 2011 I provided a link to a website about the most insane inland waterway ever proposed in Ireland (at least in recent years: watch this space!), the “Erne Canal” that was to link Belleek to Ballyshannon and the Atlantic. The website seems to have disappeared or died, perhaps reflecting an outbreak of post-tigerian realism amongst the enthusiasts for northsouthery. But if it reappears, perhaps someone will let me know. I have copies of the various documents that were downloadable from the site.

Some hours later: I spoke too soon. See Comments below: the site is back up. Perhaps it was a temporary glitch on tinterweb.

The proposal is still insane, though.

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Posted in Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Irish waterways general, Politics, Restoration and rebuilding, Tourism, Water sports activities, Waterways management

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Barge sinks on Lough Derg

Posted on Monday 25 April 2011 | Leave a comment

Killaloe Coast Guard story here.

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Posted in Extant waterways, Irish inland waterways vessels, Irish waterways general, Operations, Water sports activities, Waterways management

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Not at all boring

Posted on Friday 1 April 2011 | Leave a comment

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

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Posted in Ashore, Built heritage, Charles Wye Williams, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Forgotten navigations, Industrial heritage, Irish inland waterways vessels, Irish waterways general, Operations, People, Restoration and rebuilding, shannon estuary, Steamers, The cattle trade, Waterways management

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Somebody bet on the Beagh

Posted on Wednesday 30 March 2011 | Leave a comment

A quay on the south side of the Shannon Estuary, with bollards from the H Lee foundry and with a castle for sale. Pics taken on a grey day, just right for a muddy estuary ….

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Posted in Ashore, Built heritage, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Forgotten navigations, Industrial heritage, Irish waterways general, Operations, Scenery, shannon estuary, Steamers, Tourism, Water sports activities, Weather

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Big it up for Waterways Ireland

Posted on Tuesday 15 March 2011 | 2 comments

Waterways Ireland and the National Trails Office have come together to develop a technical specification, including code of practice and risk assessment for canoe and small vessel trails in Ireland.

The National Trails Office started work on the classification of water based trails in its publication,”Classification and grading of recreational trails.” The purpose of this tender is to develop this process further and produce a technical specification, including a code of practice and risk assessment for the future development of canoe and other small water vessel trails on the rivers and waterways of Ireland.

Tender notice on the eTenders Public Procurement website here, but you may need to be registered to get the bumpy.

This is a Jolly Good Idea and much to be encouraged. There are some suggestions for possible trails (mostly not on WI waters) on this site.

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Posted in Economic activities, Extant waterways, Forgotten navigations, Irish inland waterways vessels, Irish waterways general, Natural heritage, Operations, Tourism, Water sports activities

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Splashing the (marine) cash

Posted on Tuesday 15 March 2011 | 1 comment

Extract from the Merchant Shipping (Investigation of Marine Casualties) Act 2000:

Advances by Minister for marine or natural resources based tourism or heritage projects.

46.—The Minister may, from time to time, with the consent of the Minister for Finance, advance to a person, out of monies provided by the Oireachtas, for the purposes of marine or natural resource based tourism or heritage projects, such sums, by way of grant or loan, as the Minister may determine and upon such terms and conditions as he or she considers necessary.

That provision has nothing whatsoever to do with marine casualties. It seems to allow ministers to splash the (taxpayers’) cash to anyone they favour. The provision should be repealed immediately.

I presume that the minister, at the time when the act was introduced, did not notice the oddity of this inclusion.

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Posted in Ashore, Economic activities, Industrial heritage, Irish waterways general, Natural heritage, Tourism

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Fry’s Irish delight

Posted on Monday 14 March 2011 | 1 comment

Railway heads may wish to boogie on over to this site to look at a fifteen-minute video of the Fry Model Railway, which is to be evicted from its home at Malahide Castle.

The National Museum thinks saving the Fry isn’t really quite its sort of thing; no doubt it’s busy with its collection of frocks. It appears to possess one model steam railway locomotive; it has no steam engine, no diesel engine, but lots of stamps and coins.

The Fry includes some waterways items.

 

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Posted in Ashore, Built heritage, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Industrial heritage, Irish inland waterways vessels, Irish waterways general, Non-waterway, Operations, Rail, Tourism

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Ulster Canal to lead to united Ireland, says French blogger

Posted on Tuesday 8 March 2011 | Leave a comment

Google’s translation:

A great work that does not really captivates crowds in Ireland, unfortunately, apart from a few enthusiasts navigation, and it is a pity because the symbolic significance of these waterways, crisscrossing the island as a vector of unity, has not escaped the Dublin government has unblocked 35 million euros in 2007 to renovate the Ulster Canal, a waterway linking artery, once renovated, Belfast to Limerick (277 km apart for motorists).

More in French here.

Can it be that Craggy Island wants the Ulster Canal as a “vector of unity” rather than as a contribution to the economic development of Clones? Or that the Ulster Canal is (comme on dit) a Fenian plot? Surely not!

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

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Goodbye Craggy Island?

Posted on Tuesday 8 March 2011 | Leave a comment

RTE is reporting that the Department of Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs may be broken up. Oh dear.

But no doubt its elements will continue the fight to build the Clones canal.

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

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