Read about the EU’s Waterways Forward project here and download PDFs showing what the Irish participants Waterways Ireland and South Tipperary County Council got out of the project. WI’s project was on the implementation of the Water Framework Directive on the Royal and Grand Canals; South Tipperary County Council’s was about generating a shared vision for the Suir through the River Café project.
Some folk may recognise the canal boat on the WI document. That fella gets in everywhere.
Posted in Built heritage, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Forgotten navigations, Industrial heritage, Ireland, Natural heritage, Operations, People, Politics, Suir, Tourism, waterways, Waterways management
Tagged boats, canal, Grand Canal, Ireland, Operations, river café, Royal Canal, Suir, Water Framework Directive, waterways, Waterways Forward, Waterways Ireland
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:
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.
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
The Irish Times tells us that Endesa, a Spanish company, intends to sell its Irish operations. They include two water-side sites, at Great Island in Co Wexford and Tarbert in Co Kerry, as well as a near miss in Rhode, Co Offaly, and a fourth in Co Mayo.
The Great Island power station on the Suir opposite Cheekpoint
The Irish Times says that Endesa had intended to change Great Island and Tarbert from diesel to natural gas. The Tarbert project received planning permission in December 2010; the Irish Times report was probably inaccurate in suggesting that a submarine cable from Tarbert would supply the ESB generating station at Moneypoint which, being a generating station, would be able to generate its own.
The old Tarbert power station
However, I had heard that Tarbert might have received its natural gas from the proposed storage plant at Ballylongford, near Saleen Pier whence Trinity College turf was sent to Limerick. A pipe from Tarbert might have supplied Moneypoint. I don’t think construction has yet begun.
The old Tarbert power station was built on the site of the Tarbert battery, the largest of the six Shannon estuary batteries and the only one to mount seven guns.
Posted in Ashore, Built heritage, Charles Wye Williams, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Industrial heritage, Irish inland waterways vessels, Non-waterway, Operations, shannon estuary, Steamers, Suir, The turf trade
Tagged Ballylongford, battery, boats, Cheekpoint, ESB, Great Island, Ireland, Kilrush, Limerick, Moneypoint, Operations, quay, Saleen, Shannon, shannon estuary, Suir, Tarbert, turf, vessels, waterways
Ming Flanagan was the first to be elected a TD in the Roscommon South Leitrim constituency in the 2011 general election.
Ming launching himself on the Rockville Navigations
His sterling qualities were shown when, in September 2010, he kayaked down the Rockville Navigations, with a companion, to check this tourism and recreational resource (which I had brought to his attention in his capacity as Mayor of County Roscommon).
Another person on the side of righteousness is Paudie Coffey of Portlaw, mentioned favourably here; he was first home in Waterford, where he stood for Fine Gael.
Posted in Built heritage, Economic activities, Extant waterways, Forgotten navigations, Industrial heritage, Irish inland waterways vessels, Irish waterways general, Operations, Scenery, Suir, Water sports activities
Tagged 2011, boats, bridge, canal, Carrick-on-Suir, Clodiagh, Coffey, Dáil, Department of Community Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs, election, Ireland, Ireland waterways rockville, lock, lost, Malcolmson, Ming, Operations, Portlaw, quay, Rockville, Roscommon, Shannon, Suir, TD, turf, vessels, water level, Waterford, waterways, weir
Here is a short piece about the Suir in Clonmel and the opportunities for appreciating its natural and built heritage.
Posted in Ashore, Built heritage, Economic activities, Extant waterways, Forgotten navigations, Industrial heritage, Natural heritage, Restoration and rebuilding, Scenery, Suir
Tagged bridge, Clonmel, floods, flow, Grubbs Island, Ireland, Old Bridge, quay, scenery, Suir, water level, weir
Irish waterways history