According to the Sunday Business Post:
Army and Garda sub-aqua unit divers and armed personnel carrying ribs (rigid-hulled inflatable boats) will also be placed at strategic points along the Liffey and Dublin’s canals to ensure that there are no attempts to mount any attack from the water.
RIBS on canals? Well, that should be useful.
Er … they have heard of locks, have they? I mean, no matter how fast either the terrs or the Army and Garda folk zoom along the canal by Mespil Road, for instance, they’re still going to spend ten to fifteen minutes getting through the lock. And maybe the same clearing their props.
I do hope the terrs are not planning on launching attacks from the Royal: they won’t be able to see out from the bottom of the canal along most of the way.
Perhaps they could all be made honorary participants in the IWAI Dublin Rally, which will be on at the time.
Update 5 May 2011: Waterways Ireland says (Marine Notice 45/2011) that:
[…] there will be restrictions on boat movements on Level C5 of the Grand Canal Circular Line between Leeson Street Bridge and Charlemont Bridge, Dublin over the next two weeks. Dublin City Council are currently constructing a boardwalk at this location as part of its wider ‘Premium Cycle Route’ project to improve cycling facilities in the city and along the Grand Canal route. Due to unforeseen delays, and in order to facilitate completion of the boardwalk, it will be necessary to reduce the water level in Level C5 during the period of Monday 9th May 2011 to Thursday 19th May 2011. Waterways Ireland requests that any vessels wishing to pass through level C5 during this period should contact the Eastern Regional Office on 01 868 0148 well in advance to make the necessary arrangements.
I hope that WI has brought this to the attention of potential terrorists intending to zoom along the Grand Canal to attack HMtheQ and to the brave and noble police and army folk, in their RIBs, who will be trying to stop them.
Irish waterways history 