Category Archives: People

Garryowen and Dover Castle

Posted on Wednesday 11 May 2011 | Leave a comment

In 1840 the rival steamers Dover Castle and Garryowen competed for traffic on the Shannon Estuary. While I know of no pictures of the steamers (if you know of any, please let me know), we have a reasonable amount of information about their operations. I discuss some aspects of those operations here. For an explanation of the page title, see here, but do not be diverted down this byway.

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Posted in Built heritage, Charles Wye Williams, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Forgotten navigations, Industrial heritage, Irish inland waterways vessels, Operations, People, Scenery, shannon estuary, Sources, Steamers, The cattle trade, The turf trade, Tourism, Water sports activities, Waterways management

Tagged boats, bridge, Cahercon, Cahircon, Cappa, Charles Wye Williams, Clare, Dover Castle, Fergus, Foynes, Garryowen, Glin, Ireland, jetties, Kerry, Kilrush, Labasheeda, Limerick, Limerick Reporter, lock, Loughill, Maria Frances Dickson, Operations, quay, Red Gap, Shannon, Steamboat Quay, Tarbert, turf, vessels, waterways, Wellesley Bridge

Deaths at Portlaw

Posted on Wednesday 11 May 2011 | Leave a comment

On 7 April 2010 two canoeists were drowned at a weir in Portlaw, on the River Clodiagh. The Marine Casualty Investigation Board report on the matter has just been published. It says inter alia:

This weir cannot be run.
The design of this weir made it impassable regardless of the waterflow over it.
The weir at Portlaw is, by design, next to impossible to escape
from without the use of lifebuoys and or an access ladder.

The report does not say who designed and built this weir or when it
was done. I have asked Waterford County Council for information.

According to the Irish Independent, the families of the canoeists are considering legal action.

Some news stories about weirs at Portlaw here, here and here.

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Posted in Ashore, Built heritage, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Forgotten navigations, Industrial heritage, Irish inland waterways vessels, Operations, People, Scenery, Suir, Water sports activities, Waterways management

Tagged boats, canal, canoe, Carrick-on-Suir, Clodiagh, drown, floods, flow, Frank Fahey, Ireland, kayak, lock, lost, Martin Cullen, MCIB, Operations, Paudie Coffey, Portlaw, Suir, vessels, Waterford, waterways, weir

Sailing in Athlone

Posted on Tuesday 10 May 2011 | Leave a comment

Athlone, from The Tourist's Illustrated Hand-Book for Ireland 3rd ed David Bryce, London 1854

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Posted in Ashore, Built heritage, Economic activities, Extant waterways, Industrial heritage, Irish inland waterways vessels, Operations, People, Sources, The turf trade, Tourism

Tagged Athlone, boats, bridge, Ireland, Operations, Shannon, turf, vessels, waterways, workboat

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

Tagged Athy, Barrow, boatmen, boats, bridge, canal, Dublin, Grand Canal, Guinness, Ireland, labour, May Day, navvies, Operations, SIPTU, turf, waterways

Rowing to Dublin …

Posted on Friday 22 April 2011 | Leave a comment

… to visit King Dan.

In prison.

From Kerry, via the Grand Canal.

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Posted in Extant waterways, Irish inland waterways vessels, People, Politics, shannon estuary

Tagged Blennerville, boats, Daniel O'Connell, Dublin, Grand Canal, Ireland, Kerry, Kerry Head, Limerick, prison, rowing, Tralee, vessels, waterways

Clontarf to Clondra II

Posted on Wednesday 20 April 2011 | Leave a comment

Maark Gleeson of Clontarf Yacht & Boat Club has kindly given me details of the Club’s recent trip along the Royal, with notes on the time taken and some useful advice, especially about the tides in Dublin.

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Posted in Built heritage, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Irish inland waterways vessels, Operations, People, Restoration and rebuilding, Scenery, Tourism, Water sports activities, Waterways management

Tagged 12th lock, Abbeyshrule, Blanchardsstown, boats, bridge, canal, Clondra, Clontarf, Dublin, Ireland, Liffey, lock gate, lock key, patroller, Poolbeg, Richmond Harbour, Royal Canal, Shannon, tide, waterways, Waterways Ireland, yacht & boat club

Lough Ree

Posted on Wednesday 13 April 2011 | Leave a comment

Unlike Loughs Derg, Erne and Neagh, Lough Ree does not have a Coast Guard approved declared-resource rescue service, although Athlone Sub Aqua Club, Waveline/Quigley’s and no doubt others have provided help to boats in trouble. Now, it seems, Damien Delaney is hoping to set up a formal, approved service, according to the Wesstmeath Examiner.

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Posted in Extant waterways, Operations, People, Tourism, Water sports activities, Waterways management

Tagged Athlone, boats, Coast Guard, coastguard, Erne, Ireland, IWAI, Lough Derg, Lough Neagh, Lough Ree, Operations, rescue, Shannon, vessels, waterways

Killaloe collision

Posted on Sunday 3 April 2011 | Leave a comment

The Irish Times reports that six people and a dog were rescued from a cruiser after it hit Killaloe Bridge. The cruiser was found to be taking in water. Killaloe Coast Guard report here, with photo of the Emerald Star cruiser being beached at Ballyvalley to stop it from sinking.

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Posted in Ashore, Extant waterways, Irish inland waterways vessels, Operations, People, Tourism, Water sports activities

Tagged boats, bridge, Clare, Coast Guard, coastguard, collision, dog, Emerald Star, Ireland, Killaloe, Lough Derg, Operations, rescue, Shannon, vessels, Waterways Ireland

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

Tagged barge, Bindon Scott, boats, Cahercon, Cahiracon, Cahircon, Clare, explosive, famine, Fergus, harbormaster, Ireland, jetties, Kildysart, Limerick, Matrisha, Mudge, Operations, quay, sea-manure, Shannon, steel, turf, vessels, waterways, Whelan

Crovraghan continuity

Posted on Saturday 19 March 2011 | 1 comment

The cattle-carrying lighters and other interesting boats at Crovraghan.

Posted in Ashore, Built heritage, Economic activities, Extant waterways, Forgotten navigations, Industrial heritage, Irish inland waterways vessels, Operations, People, Scenery, shannon estuary, The cattle trade

Tagged boats, cattle, Clare, Crovraghan, Darina Tully, Fergus, ferry, gandalow, gandelow, ganlo, Illaunbeg, Ireland, islands, lighter, Operations, Paradise, Shannon, Shannon cot, T R Henn, vessels, Waterways Ireland, workboat