Category Archives: Operations

A very interesting photo …

Posted on Friday 10 August 2012 | 1 comment

… here.

h/t PW

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Posted in Charles Wye Williams, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Forgotten navigations, Industrial heritage, Ireland, Irish inland waterways vessels, Operations, Scenery, Shannon, Sources, Steamers, The cattle trade, Tourism, waterways

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Cots, nets and salmon

Posted on Thursday 9 August 2012 | Leave a comment

Snap-net fishing in Carrick-on-Suir.

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Posted in Economic activities, Extant waterways, Industrial heritage, Ireland, Irish inland waterways vessels, Operations, People, Politics, Scenery, Suir, The fishing trade, waterways, Weather

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Plasticine

Posted on Thursday 9 August 2012 | 2 comments

Why, when speaking of the branded product Plasticine, did [do?] Irish teachers insist on using the Irish word marla? Even that word was, according to Terry Dolan’s Dictionary of Hiberno-English [Gill & Macmillan, Dublin 2004; new ed forthcoming], derived from the English marl.

At least in the nineteenth century, marl was a valuable manure or fertiliser and, on Lough Derg, Mr Head of the Derry Estate introduced a system of dredging it from deep water. Read about it here.

 

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Posted in Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Industrial heritage, Ireland, Irish inland waterways vessels, Operations, People, Scenery, Shannon, Sources, Steamers, The cattle trade, waterways

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Fox II (113B)

Posted on Wednesday 1 August 2012 | 5 comments

Thanks to Liam Kelly for these photos of the retired WI maintenance vessel Fox celebrating her 75th birthday in dry dock at Roosky recently.

 

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Posted in Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Industrial heritage, Ireland, Irish inland waterways vessels, Operations, Restoration and rebuilding, Shannon, waterways

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Barges, cots and subaltern waterways studies

Posted on Wednesday 1 August 2012 | Leave a comment

I am to speak at Jamestown, near Carrick-on-Shannon in Co Leitrim, on Saturday 4 August 2012. Jamestown is having its heritage festival, and large numbers of old (converted) barges will be there. I will be giving one of four talks; mine is entitled

Down with barges: why cots were the really important vessels on Irish inland waterways.

I will be citing His Late Majesty Henry VIII, Fid Def, in support of my contention.

Here is some of the background to my thinking. If you would like to hear more, do come along on the day: the talks are open to all.

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Posted in Economic activities, Extant waterways, Forgotten navigations, Industrial heritage, Ireland, Irish inland waterways vessels, Irish waterways general, Operations, People, Politics, Shannon, Sources, Suir, The cattle trade, The fishing trade, The turf trade, waterways, Waterways management

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Essential kit for barge-drivers

Posted on Tuesday 31 July 2012 | 2 comments

So there you are outside one of the more sheltered harbours (Dromaan, say), unable to see how much space there is inside and wondering whether, if you go in, you’ll find you have to reverse out again. How useful it would be to be able to see inside from some distance away. How useful it would be to have a small helicopter at your disposal, one that could send pics back to you.

Clearly such a gadget would be a must-have item, an essential piece of equipment for any conscientious barge-driver. Happily, it exists.

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Posted in Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Operations, Shannon, Water sports activities

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Where do …

Posted on Tuesday 31 July 2012 | Leave a comment

… (a) correct ideas and (b) camper vans come from?

Correct ideas, as everyone is undoubtedly aware, come from three kinds of social practice: the struggle for production, the class struggle and scientific experiment.

Camper vans (or RVs: song on this page requiring Flash) may come to WI harbours because they’ve studied the Safe Nights Ireland website, which (inter alia) lists all the public toilets in Ireland (many counties have none) and the WI facilities.

Incidentally, I have been told that WI now welcomes camper vans, having persuaded Bord Fáilte that the economy won’t collapse if it recognises the reality that the vans use the harbours. However, I haven’t seen that in writing anywhere; if anyone can point me towards a reliable source, please leave a Comment below.

 

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Posted in Ashore, Economic activities, Extant waterways, Ireland, Irish waterways general, Non-waterway, Operations, Politics, Shannon, Sources, Tourism, waterways, Waterways management

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Working for Waterways Ireland

Posted on Tuesday 31 July 2012 | Leave a comment

What is the most important (because first listed) skill for those seeking employment with Waterways Ireland as general operatives (basic)?

Good communication skills.

I am very glad to hear it.

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Posted in Ashore, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Irish waterways general, Operations, People, waterways, Waterways management

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Our deeds determine us …

Posted on Tuesday 31 July 2012 | Leave a comment

… and Waterways Ireland wants to digitise its deeds:

Waterways Ireland house, in secure storage, an important collection of deeds / documents, in paper format, that relate to their assets and land interests throughout Ireland. Waterways Ireland wishes to appoint a service provider to digitise these on a rolling basis. […]

The deeds are broadly of two types:

– Multi-page land transfer deeds which are usually A3-A4 in size and stapled or bound. Many are DL folded.

– Large format title deeds, dating from late 18th century onwards. These are generally on velum, folded and A2 or greater in size.

Other maps and documents which may be required to size A0 and larger.

Incidentally, WI should decide whether it is, er, singular or plural.

 

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Posted in Economic activities, Industrial heritage, Ireland, Irish waterways general, Operations, waterways, Waterways management

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Waterways walks

Posted on Tuesday 31 July 2012 | Leave a comment

Look!

Waterways Ireland and a local authority have cooperated in opening a canalside walking and cycling path!

And an excitable minister opened it, saying

This has huge potential for tourism but it also has a huge knock on effect for communities in the health benefit facilities like this bring and this, in turn has benefits in reducing the press on our health services as well. I want to see more walkways because I want to see more people out walking and seeing the natural beauty that we here in Ireland are blessed to have around us.

And rightly so. But you don’t need an expensive canal in order to provide a walk.

 

 

 

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Posted in Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Foreign parts, Forgotten navigations, Irish waterways general, Natural heritage, Non-waterway, Operations, People, Politics, Restoration and rebuilding, Scenery, Ulster Canal, waterways, Waterways management

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