Category Archives: Waterways management

Stands the church clock at ten to three?

Posted on Monday 25 March 2013 | Leave a comment

No, but the number of licensed sellers of green diesel along the Shannon stands at seven.

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Posted in Ashore, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Ireland, Irish inland waterways vessels, Operations, Politics, Shannon, Tourism, Water sports activities, waterways, Waterways management

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The Charles Wye Williams bridge campaign

Posted on Friday 22 March 2013 | 1 comment

Dublin City Council has published its call for proposals for naming the new bridge across the Liffey. According to RTE, various bolshies and literary types have been suggested, as though we didn’t have enough of them (and of politicians too). Accordingly, I have submitted an application suggesting that the bridge be named after a successful entrepreneur who understood technology and created employment: Charles Wye Williams, the Father of the Shannon, whose fleet of nine steamers and fifty-two barges gave us the Shannon as we know it today.

I will be happy to send a copy (PDF) of my application to anyone who is willing to support it.

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Posted in Ashore, Built heritage, Charles Wye Williams, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Industrial heritage, Ireland, Irish inland waterways vessels, Operations, People, Politics, Rail, Restoration and rebuilding, Shannon, shannon estuary, Sources, Steamers, The cattle trade, waterways, Waterways management

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WI CEO salary

Posted on Friday 22 March 2013 | 2 comments

In 2005 the Waterways Ireland CEO earned £86590. Subsequent annual reports have not disclosed the CEO’s earnings; the report for 2011 says this:

WI salaries

Martin is the CEO; Russell, Brownsmith, D’Arcy and Dennany are (or were: Dennany has since retired) Directors, and thus senior to the three regional managers whose earnings have been disclosed. I think we can assume, therefore, that all five earned more than €100,000, which is £85,187.65 at the moment.

According to the information booklet for the CEO’s job, published here today [downloadable .doc],

The salary range for the position is sterling and as follows: £61,217- £84,630. Salary at appointment will be at the minimum point of the scale.

So it seems likely that the new CEO will be earning considerably less than the outgoing CEO, than the senior directors and than the regional managers, and perhaps less than other staff.

There is a defined benefit pension, though, which is a rara avis these days.

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Posted in Drainage, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Foreign parts, Ireland, Operations, People, Politics, Sources, waterways, Waterways management

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WI CEO update

Posted on Friday 22 March 2013 | Leave a comment

I mentioned yesterday that the job of Waterways Ireland Chief Executive had not yet been advertised. It has now.

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Posted in Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Foreign parts, Ireland, Irish waterways general, Operations, People, Politics, Sources, waterways, Waterways management

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Weather and water levels

Posted on Friday 22 March 2013 | Leave a comment

Have a look at the water level at Banagher Bridge. As I write at 0823 on 20130322, the latest data is 23 minutes old. The level has been falling for the last five weeks, but are there already signs of an uptick? (Or am I assuming there should be one after last night’s rain?)

Not interested in Banagher? Pick your own spot.

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Posted in Ashore, Drainage, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Ireland, Natural heritage, Operations, Shannon, Sources, waterways, Waterways management, Weather

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DCAL

Posted on Thursday 21 March 2013 | Leave a comment

I have been searching the website of Northern Ireland’s Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure [DCAL to its friends] for the minutes of the meetings of its departmental board. Unfortunately I have not been able to find any link to them on the site. The site search engine will find them, but in an unpredictable order. It may be best, therefore, to use these terms in your favourite web search engine:

dcalni “departmental board meeting”

The most recent minutes I found were those for January 2013.

I can’t find anything similar for the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, alas.

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Posted in Economic activities, Extant waterways, Foreign parts, Ireland, Operations, People, Politics, Waterways management

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WI CEO

Posted on Thursday 21 March 2013 | 6 comments

John Martin, Chief Executive (or, as we say in Ulster Scots, Heid Fector) of Waterways Ireland, was due to retire at the end of March 2013. The job has not yet been advertised and Mr Martin has been asked to stay on until his successor has been appointed.

His retirement was not a surprise: for instance, as I reported here, Ministers thanked him at the North-South Ministerial Council meeting on 121212:

Ministers thanked John Martin CEO of Waterways Ireland who is due to retire in  March next year for his contribution to the Body and noted the process for appointing a new CEO.

So why the delay? It is of course possible that headhunters are beating the bushes seeking retired chief executives of waterways bodies who could be persuaded to apply, but I would have thought that a public position should be publicly advertised. I have asked the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht for information.

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Posted in Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Foreign parts, Ireland, Irish waterways general, Operations, People, Politics, Restoration and rebuilding, Shannon, Sources, Uncategorized, waterways, Waterways management

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Lock sizes on the Shannon Navigation

Posted on Wednesday 20 March 2013 | Leave a comment

Some figures.

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Posted in Ashore, Built heritage, Charles Wye Williams, Drainage, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Industrial heritage, Ireland, Irish inland waterways vessels, Operations, People, Restoration and rebuilding, Shannon, Sources, Steamers, The cattle trade, The turf trade, Water sports activities, waterways, Waterways management

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The Limerick Navigation: lock sizes

Posted on Wednesday 20 March 2013 | Leave a comment

Here is a table showing the sizes of the locks on the (now abandoned) Limerick Navigation.

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Posted in Ashore, Built heritage, Charles Wye Williams, Drainage, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Forgotten navigations, Industrial heritage, Ireland, Irish inland waterways vessels, Non-waterway, Operations, Restoration and rebuilding, Shannon, shannon estuary, Sources, Steamers, The cattle trade, Tourism, waterways, Waterways management

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Buying diesel

Posted on Tuesday 19 March 2013 | Leave a comment

The Revenue Commissioners’ latest list of holders of marked fuel trader’s licences doesn’t seem to have any new names on it. So, as far as I can see, there are no licensed sellers on the Grand Canal, the Royal Canal, the Barrow, the Shannon–Erne Waterway or that part of the Erne in the republic. There are seven licensed sellers on the Shannon, with none north of Carrick-on-Shannon or south of Portumna. The seven licensed sellers are (north to south):

  • CarrickCraft, Carrick-on-Shannon
  • Emerald Star, Carrick-on-Shannon
  • Rooskey Craft & Tackle, Rooskey Quay
  • Hanley’s Marina, Ballyleague (opposite Lanesborough)
  • Quigley’s Marina, Killinure, Lough Ree
  • CarrickCraft, Banagher
  • Emerald Star, Portumna.

If I’ve left anybody out, please let me know and I’ll correct my error.

Note that the requirement for a licence includes anyone delivering green diesel, or keeping it for delivery, so that purporting not to charge for the diesel makes no difference.

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Posted in Ashore, Economic activities, Extant waterways, Ireland, Irish inland waterways vessels, Operations, People, Politics, Shannon, Sources, Tourism, Water sports activities, waterways, Waterways management

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