… will be delighted to hear of today’s victory by Colin Becker, the result no doubt of many years of practice at rally table quizzes.
We are reminded of the Christmas cartoon in Private Eye some years ago, depicting two choirboys, one saying to the other “I can’t believe it’s not Rutter”.
Posted in Ashore, Economic activities, Ireland, Non-waterway, People, Steamers, waterways
Tagged Colin Becker, IWAI, John Rutter, Lough Derg, Lyric FM
Sinn Féin takes more interest in the Ulster Canal than does any other political party. It may not be coincidental that the government seems to be trying to get two local authorities, on both of which Sinn Féin is the largest party, to solve the canal’s funding problem.
Posted in Built heritage, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Foreign parts, Industrial heritage, Ireland, Irish waterways general, Non-waterway, Operations, People, Politics, Restoration and rebuilding, Ulster Canal, waterways, Waterways management
Tagged canal, Clones, department of arts heritage and the gaeltacht, DUP, Erne, Fermanagh, Fianna Fail, Fine Gael, Ireland, Lough Neagh, Monaghan, Sinn Fein, Ulster Canal, waterways, Waterways Ireland
Under the Local Government (Household Charge) Bill 2011, published today, a residential property must be a building, and both vessels and vehicles are excluded by the definition of a building. So folk living on boats won’t have to pay the charge.
For some years I have been trying unsuccessfully to find out more about a trip that Orson Welles is said to have taken on a barge on the River Shannon. Now I see that a chap in Wiltshire wants to make a film that, according to the synopsis, includes this incident:
First, though, he takes a leisurely barge trip on The River Shannon and meditates on nature and the beauty of the countryside.
There is more about the project here.
The Mid-West Regional Authority is seeking tenders for developing a “Signage Audit & Strategy for the Lough Derg Destination Area”.
The strategy is to cover
the Lough Derg Destination Area from Portumna to Ballina/Killaloe including the major settlements within this boundary incorporating both sides of Lough Derg ….
It involves auditing existing signposts within three miles of Lough Derg, consulting “key stakeholders” and developing a new signposting plan for the region. The new signage is to guide visitors to and through the Lough Derg Destination Area, to benefit the “local host community” and to provide a “comprehensive, branded, co-ordinated signage strategy for the Lough Derg Destination Area which will also inform and direct signage in the future”.
Posted in Ashore, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Industrial heritage, Ireland, Irish waterways general, Natural heritage, Non-waterway, Operations, People, Politics, Scenery, Tourism, waterways, Waterways management
Tagged Clare, destination area, Ireland, Limerick, Lough Derg, Mid-West Regional Authority, Shannon, sign, signage, Tipperary, tourism, waterways
A prison van got stuck under the Blundell Aqueduct on the Long (18.5-mile) Level of the Grand Canal this afternoon.
The Blundell Aqueduct
The prisoners were no doubt undertaking a waterways tour, taking in the Edenderry Branch, the Main Line and the Barrow Line (at Rathangan).
The Northern Ireland Executive’s Programme for Government (PDF) is available for download here. The accompanying statement to the Northern Ireland Assembly by the First Minister and deputy First Minister (MW Word .docx) is downloadable here and can also be read on the Assembly’s website here.
There is no mention of waterways or canals in either document.
Posted in Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Foreign parts, Industrial heritage, Ireland, Irish waterways general, Non-waterway, Operations, Politics, Restoration and rebuilding, Tourism, Ulster Canal, waterways, Waterways management
Tagged Erne, Lough Neagh, Northern Ireland Assembly, Northern Ireland Executive, Ulster Canal, waterways, Waterways Ireland
The indefatigable Mary Mulvihill has produced a podcast guide to a Royal Canal walk, from Dunsink to Broombridge. The podcast is free to download as an MP3 file.
Its production was supported by Maths Week Ireland and the Irish Research Council for Science, Engineering & Technology (IRCSET); it follows the annual walk to commemorate the achievement of Sir William Rowan Hamilton, who in 1843 invented a new type of algebra, quaternions, and wrote the equation on the bridge.
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The Irish Times reports that Rusal, current owners of the Aughinish Alumina plant, want to increase production. See the plant and its “waste storage facility” here (satellite view on a larger map is best):
Posted in Ashore, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Ireland, Non-waterway, Operations, shannon estuary, waterways
Tagged alumina, Aughinish, bauxite, estuary, Ireland, Rusal, Shannon
Here is a very short report from someone who did some of it (Dublin to Abbeyshrule).
Posted in Ashore, Built heritage, Extant waterways, Ireland, Non-waterway, Scenery, Tourism, waterways, Waterways management
Tagged canal, Ireland, Royal Canal, Waterways Ireland
Irish waterways history 