Category Archives: Irish waterways general

Loos talk

Posted on Saturday 19 September 2009 | Leave a comment

On recent visits to two waterways sites, I found old loos that had been provided for the use of the workers. Here are some photographs. There must be more such loos out there; I’d love to hear from anyone who knows of any.

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Posted in Irish waterways general, Operations

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Some minor updates

Posted on Thursday 3 September 2009 | Leave a comment

I’ve added four photos of Dowleys quay at Ballylynch to the Middle Suir page, two recent photos of the Dunbrody to the Tidal Barrow page, one unusual boat to the Boats that are different and numerous sailing boats (including a Romilly) to the page where you would expect to find them.

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Posted in Forgotten navigations, Irish inland waterways vessels, Irish waterways general

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The Anner canal

Posted on Tuesday 25 August 2009 | Leave a comment

Just east of the Bulmers factory in Clonmel, Co Tipperary, the Anner runs southwards to its confluence with the River Suir. A short distance north of the N24 (the road to Waterford), a canal separates off from the river and runs down the far side of a field, passing under the N24 a short distance to the east of the Anner. The bridge under which it passed is (or was, on the 1904 Ordnance Survey map) called Canal Bridge, which is the only information I have to suggest that this watercourse was thought of as a canal. I have a few photos of it here.

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Posted in Forgotten navigations, Irish waterways general

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Moving a pump

Posted on Sunday 26 July 2009 | Leave a comment

Some years ago there was a scheme to install a hydroelectric generating plant at Tarmonbarry weir. The scheme was abandoned, and a Waterways Ireland team recently had to get a pump across the river to drain a bunded area. Here is how they moved the pump.

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Posted in Extant waterways, Irish inland waterways vessels, Irish waterways general, Operations

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The Shannonbridge chimneys

Posted on Saturday 25 July 2009 | Leave a comment

The chimneys of the power station at Shannonbridge, on the river Shannon between Lough Ree to the north and Lough Derg to the south, have for many years been a landmark: visible from a long way away in both directions on the Shannon and on its tributary the Suck as well. They were demolished last week. I have put up a page of photographs as a reminder of what they looked like and to mark their passing.

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Posted in Extant waterways, Irish waterways general, Scenery, The turf trade

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Operating the sluices at Tarmonbarry

Posted on Thursday 23 July 2009 | Leave a comment

This new page has a series of photographs showing the operation of the sluices on the weir beside Tarmonbarry Lock on the River Shannon. The process involves a mysterious machine and two disappearances ….

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Posted in Extant waterways, Irish waterways general, Operations

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Carrickcraft rescue

Posted on Thursday 23 July 2009 | Leave a comment

We were at Dromod when a Carrickcraft hire cruiser went aground outside the harbour in poor weather. I was impressed by how quickly Carrickcraft got a rescue crew to the scene and how efficiently they got the boat off and into safety before a depression of 988 arrived. Here are photos of the rescue.

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Posted in Extant waterways, Irish inland waterways vessels, Irish waterways general, Operations

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The ESB lock at Ardnacrusha on the River Shannon

Posted on Wednesday 22 July 2009 | Leave a comment

The Electricity Supply Board (ESB) operates the lock that takes boats through the hydroelectric power station at Ardnacrusha, on the lower reaches of the River Shannon. The lock is, in Irish waterways terminology, a double: a staircase pair, which counts as one lock, with a combined drop in the two chambers of about 100 feet. It’s not the deepest lock in Europe by any means (although it is by far the deepest in These Islands: five times the depth of Tuel Lane) but it is relatively small, a fact that enhances the impressions created by a passage through the lock. I’ve put up a page of photos and information about the lock here.

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Posted in Extant waterways, Irish waterways general, Operations

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Back from holidays

Posted on Sunday 19 July 2009 | Leave a comment

Just back from a fortnight on the Shannon, reaching as far north as Dromod. We took over 1000 photos, and as soon as I get them sorted I’ll have additions to various existing topics as well as material for several new ones.

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Posted in Irish waterways general

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Waterways Ireland’s latest workboat: Inis Cealtra

Posted on Monday 22 June 2009 | Leave a comment

Here are photographs of Waterways Ireland’s latest workboat, Inis Cealtra. The photos were taken at Portumna, at the head of Lough Derg, after Inis Cealtra, built in Killybegs Co Donegal, had travelled down the west coast, up the Shannon Estuary, through Limerick and then via Ardnacrusha Lock to Lough Derg on the Shannon.

These photos are of details, and are probably for the anoraks; for more general views, see the pics supplied by Waterways Ireland on my general WI workboats page.

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Posted in Irish inland waterways vessels, Irish waterways general, Operations

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