The SS John Randolph, described as “America’s first successful iron ship in commerce”, is commemorated by a historical marker in Savannah, Georgia, USA.
The John Randolph was one of the first six iron vessels built by Lairds of Birkenhead (later merged into Cammell Laird). The other five were built for use on the River Shannon.
Posted in Ashore, Built heritage, Charles Wye Williams, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Foreign parts, Industrial heritage, Ireland, Irish inland waterways vessels, Irish waterways general, Operations, People, Politics, Restoration and rebuilding, Shannon, shannon estuary, Sources, Steamers, The cattle trade, Tourism, waterways, Waterways management
Tagged Birkenhead, boats, Charles Wye Williams, Clare, Dublin, estuary, Fergus, Garryowen, Georgia, Grand Canal, Ireland, iron, John Randolph, Killaloe, Lady Lansdowne, Laird, Limerick, lock, Lough Derg, Operations, Savannah, Shannon, steam, tug, vessels, waterways
The Limerick Leader has a story that updates my piece on Limerick dredging.
Posted in Built heritage, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Ireland, Irish inland waterways vessels, Irish waterways general, Operations, People, Restoration and rebuilding, Shannon, shannon estuary, waterways, Waterways management, Weather
Tagged boats, bridge, Clare, Custom House, ESB, estuary, floods, flow, Ireland, Limerick, lock, Operations, Pat Lysaght, pontoon, quay, Shannon, vessels, water level, waterways, workboat
The Irish Examiner reports on the proposed LNG storage terminal here. Richard Tol provides an informed view here. The objectors’ site is here. I note from the Examiner report that they say:
Shannon LNG is hoping to make millions of euro profits every year with state support at the consumers’ expense at time of increasing fuel poverty.
Unfortunately the report did not say why a wish to make profits is to be deprecated or why it is a bad idea to increase fuel supplies and security “at time of increasing fuel poverty” but perhaps the extensive bogs, whose product was exported through Saleen, are still available.
Posted in Ashore, Built heritage, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Industrial heritage, Ireland, Irish waterways general, Natural heritage, Operations, People, Politics, Restoration and rebuilding, Scenery, Shannon, shannon estuary, The turf trade, waterways, Waterways management
Tagged Ballylongford, boats, estuary, Ireland, irisheconomy, Kerry, LNG, Operations, Rabbitte, Richard Tol, Saleen, Shannon, Tarbert, turf, vessels, waterways
Apologies to folk who have left Comments or otherwise communicated in recent weeks: I’ve been away, most recently at the far end of the Shannon and at Greenwich. I am now beginning to tackle my correspondence.
De Wadden
De Wadden formerly traded to the (Munster) Blackwater and is now displayed in a dry dock at Liverpool. I knew she was there, but I hadn’t known that the Kathleen & May, now on sale, was there too.
Kathleen & May
In Greenwich, I saw a bust of George Biddell Airy, late Astronomer Royal, whose work on the tides of the Shannon Estuary is of such great interest.
George Biddell Airy
Posted in Ashore, Charles Wye Williams, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Foreign parts, Industrial heritage, Ireland, Irish waterways general, Operations, People, Restoration and rebuilding, shannon estuary, Steamers, The cattle trade, Tourism, waterways, Waterways management
Tagged Airy, Blackwater, boats, De Wadden, Ireland, Kathleen & May, Shannon, tide, waterways
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
… just some of the things you can see from the Killimer to Tarbert ferry.
Actually, I lied about the weirs, but they were there once. As were the salmon.
Posted in Ashore, Built heritage, Charles Wye Williams, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Industrial heritage, Ireland, Irish inland waterways vessels, Irish waterways general, Natural heritage, Non-waterway, Operations, Scenery, shannon estuary, Sources, Steamers, The cattle trade, The fishing trade, The turf trade, Tourism, waterways, Waterways management, Weather
Tagged battery, boats, Clare, Endesa, ESB, estuary, ferry, flow, fort, Ireland, jetties, Kerry, Kilkerin, Killaloe, Killimer, Kilrush, lighthouse, Limerick, Napoleon, Operations, power station, quay, redoubt, Shannon, Tarbert, Tarbert Race, Tarbert Roads, vessels, waterways, weir, workboat
… is buried at Killimer.
Posted in Ashore, Ireland, People, shannon estuary, waterways
Tagged boats, Colleen Bawn, Ellen Hanley, Ireland, Killimer, Oeter O'Connell, Shannon, shannon estuary, Tarbert, waterways
… and the episode of the Madelen. Heavy lifting from the slipway at Cappa Pier, Kilrush, to Hog Island.
Posted in Ashore, Built heritage, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Ireland, Irish inland waterways vessels, Operations, People, Scenery, shannon estuary, waterways
Tagged boats, Cappa, Clare, estuary, Hog Island, Ireland, Kilrush, Limerick, Madelen, Operations, Scattery, Shannon, vessels, waterways, workboat
A reproduction Shannon Estuary turf boat is being built at Querrin.
Posted in Built heritage, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Industrial heritage, Irish inland waterways vessels, People, Restoration and rebuilding, shannon estuary, The turf trade, Tourism, waterways
Tagged boats, Clare, cot, hooker, Ireland, Kilrush, Limerick, Operations, quay, Querrin, sail, Seol Sionna, Shannon, turf, vessels, waterways
Irish waterways history 