… wins prestigious competition!
Harry Arnold has won the Irish Waterways History Christmas Caption Competition and the magnificent prize of a glass of something. “I’m over the moon,” said the excited winner: “it’s just as good as winning the lottery.”
The competition organisers dismissed rumours that they favoured overseas contestants as they would be less likely to be able to collect their prizes. “Quod scripsi, scripsi,” they said, “and our word is our bond.”
Posted in Foreign parts, Irish waterways general, People, Waterways management
Tagged Grand Canal, Harry Arnold, Ireland, Waterways Ireland
The usual prize of a glass of something or other [and I know the last two prizewinners still have a claim on me] for the best non-libellous caption for this photo, taken today at the launch of WI’s education programme for primary school children. I understand that the materials on WI’s e-learning page are complemented by “an off-line teachers resource pack”, which is what the besuited ones are clutching.
No lifejackets. Photo courtesy of Waterways Ireland, who are not to blame for my decision to use it for a caption competition
Starting at the back, the four chaps are Éanna Rowe, Waterways Ireland’s Marketing Honcho; John Martin, Heid Fector o’ Waterwyes Airlin [as we say in Ulster Scots]*; Ruairi Quinn, Minister for Education and Skills; Jimmy Deenihan, Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht but, on the other hand, a strong personal supporter of the Lartigue Monorail, which is a point in his favour.
Update 4 December 2012: the press release is now on the WI site.
* In its 2008 Annual Report, Waterways Ireland was, in Ulster Scots, Watterweys Airlann on the cover but Watterwyes Irelan in the Foreward bae the Cheif [sic] Executive, who signed himself as Chief [sic] Executive. By 2009, though it was still Watterweys Airlann on the cover, it was Waterwyes Airlan in the Foreward bae the Chief [sic] Executive, who signed himself as Heid Fector, a title I rather like. By 2010, though the cover remained unchanged as Watterweys Airlann, the body was Watterwyes Airlan in the Foreward, but the Heid Fector title had been dropped, alas, and John Martin was Chief Executive in two languages.
But 2008 was not the Heid Fector’s first appearance: in 2007 John Martin signed himself thus, though the foreword was called Twarthy words bae tha heid yin and the body was referred to in the text as Wattherweys [sic] Irelan.
Back in 2006, the foreword was Innin wi tha Heid Fector, and the body was Watterweys Airlann, with an accent, which I can’t reproduce, over the first e. That was the same as in 2005; in both years John Martin signed himself as Heid Fector.
I’m not sure whether I prefer Heid Yin or Heid Fector, but either seems better than Chief or Cheif Executive. But the real problem is the difficulty that this inconsistency causes for us eager students of Ulster Scots. I realise that change is inevitable in a thriving, developing language or dialect, but perhaps the cross-border bodies could give a lead in standardising the vocabulary and spelling.
Posted in Ashore, Extant waterways, Industrial heritage, Ireland, Irish inland waterways vessels, Irish waterways general, Operations, People, Politics, Rail, Sources, Uncategorized, waterways, Waterways management
Tagged boats, bridge, canal, department of arts heritage and the gaeltacht, Eanna Rowe, education, Grand Canal, Heid Fector, Heid Yin, Ireland, John Martin, lifejacket, minister, Operations, Shannon, Ulster Scots, waterways, Waterways Ireland
In an earlier posting I provided this extract from WI’s accounts to 31 December 2010:
WI salaries
The same message appears in the annual reports for 2009, 2008, 2007 and 2006. However, back in 2005 there was a different message:
WI pay 2005
Posted in Economic activities, Foreign parts, Ireland, Operations, People, waterways, Waterways management
Tagged Ireland, management, pay, Waterways Ireland
There is a slightly disturbing item in WI’s 2010 accounts [PDF]:
1.5 Deferred Pension Funding
In accordance with accounting practice for non-commercial State bodies in the Republic of Ireland, Waterways Ireland recognises an asset representing resources to be made available by the UK and Irish Exchequers for the unfunded deferred liability for pensions on the basis of a number of past events. These events include the statutory backing for the superannuation schemes, and the policy and practice in relation to funding public service pensions in both
jurisdictions including the annual estimates process. While there is no formal agreement and therefore no guarantee regarding these specific amounts with the funding bodies, Waterways Ireland has no evidence that this funding policy will not continue to progressively meet this amount in accordance with current practice. This treatment is inconsistent with accounting practice for UK Non-Departmental Bodies, where, due to the absence of a formal guarantee, a funding liability is not recognised until the commitment falls due.
IANAA, but an absence of evidence for the non-existence of the tooth fairy would not convince me that it does exist. I suppose it’s the same for any other unfunded pension scheme, and (unlike the UK practice) at least acknowledges the size of the problem, but it’s not exactly reassuring, either to taxpayers or to future pensioners. If I’ve misunderstood it, perhaps some kindly accountant will correct me.
Posted in Ashore, Economic activities, Foreign parts, Ireland, Operations, People, Politics, Waterways management
Tagged Ireland, pension, Waterways Ireland
In my post about WI finances I referred to Robin Evans, chief executive of the Canal & River Trust, which runs many waterways in England and Wales. A commenter mentioned Evans’s salary. Here is what WI’s Annual Report for the year ended 31 December 2010 [PDF] says about the salaries of senior WI managers.
WI salaries
Robin Evans, chief executive of the Canal & River Trust, was interviewed in the December 2012 issue of Waterways World. CART, a charitable trust, has taken over from British Waterways in England and Wales, but not in Scotland.
Robin Evans pointed out in the interview that, whereas waterways in Scotland get 98% of their funding from the state, CART’s English and Welsh waterways get only 35%. Amongst other things, CART is seeking donations and getting people to volunteer as lockkeepers and in other roles.
I’ll bet the Irish government is looking on with interest.
Posted in Ashore, Built heritage, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Foreign parts, Industrial heritage, Ireland, Irish waterways general, Natural heritage, Non-waterway, Operations, People, Politics, Restoration and rebuilding, Scenery, Sources, waterways, Waterways management
Tagged budget, canal, canal & river trust, charitable trust, department of arts heritage and the gaeltacht, donation, Erne, finance, Ireland, Operations, Robin Evans, Shannon, volunteer, waterways, Waterways Ireland
I have updated my page about Royal Canal feeders with some information provided by Nigel Russell of WI to the An Bord Pleanála oral hearing on the Royal water supply scheme.
Incidentally, the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, WI’s parent department in RoI, was among the (few) objectors to the proposed abstraction of water from Lough Ennell, although it was in favour of ceasing to abstract water from Lough Owel [Inspector’s report pp11–12]. Indeed it seemed to have some reservations about the reopening of the Royal Canal, not on economic grounds but because “some important nature consideration issues need to be fully addressed”.
Posted in Ashore, Built heritage, Drainage, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Industrial heritage, Ireland, Natural heritage, Operations, People, Restoration and rebuilding, waterways, Waterways management, Weather
Tagged boats, canal, department of arts heritage and the gaeltacht, feeder, Ireland, lock, Loiugh Owel, Lough Ennell, Nigel Russell, Operations, Royal Canal, Shannon, vessels, water level, waterways, Waterways Ireland
Irish waterways history 