Category Archives: Waterways management

Neglect of lock repairs forces canal to close …

Posted on Monday 11 March 2013 | Leave a comment

… in Germany.

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Posted in Built heritage, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Foreign parts, Operations, Politics, waterways, Waterways management

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Sailing in the Lowtown high

Posted on Friday 8 March 2013 | Leave a comment

WI & L&MK at Lowtown, with pics and map, here.

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

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The last round-up

Posted on Monday 4 March 2013 | Leave a comment

A press release from Waterways Ireland says:

Since November 2012 Waterways Ireland has offered Boaters on the Grand Canal, Barrow Navigation and Royal Canal a new Extended Mooring Permit which enables the boat to remain in a single location for more than five days. Extended Mooring Locations have been offered at two week intervals until the 4th March when the final 2013 locations will open. In total, 68 Extended Mooring Locations will have been offered across urban and rural locations on the three waterways. Each location has multiple moorings available; more than ample space for every boat currently on the system should all wish to apply. More locations are being prepared should demand increase.

Applications for the last set of locations begin on March 4th 2013. On the Barrow extended mooring locations will open at Moneybeg, Co Carlow and Lowtown, Co Kildare and on the Grand Canal at Derrymullen, Ticknevin and Allenwood Middle also in Co Kildare.

There follows the usual material about enforcement, which can be read here.

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

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On wires and worked with steam*

Posted on Monday 4 March 2013 | 2 comments

Thanks again to Paul Quinn for another set of photographs, this time of the newly-installed wakeboarding system thingie in Grand Canal Dock, Dublin, which is to be opened on 9 March 2013.

Wakeboarding, as I understand it, involves dressing up in brightly coloured plastics, standing on a plank and being towed around behind a boat. I don’t myself see the appeal, being more the sedentary sort, but chacun a son gout, as the French don’t say, apparently, although why they’re supposed to know anything about it I don’t … but I digress. The wakeboarding system thingie seems to allow wakeboarding without a boat; it might also require less sea room.

A system was installed temporarily last year; there is information about it here. I don’t know whether that is the same system as has now been installed. You can read the environmental report here [PDF]. Waterways Ireland tells me that

Waterways Ireland has entered into a three year commercial operating licence agreement with Colin Harris T/A Wakedock Ltd., to place and operate a mobile wakeboarding system in Grand Canal Dock.

There seems to be an association between Wakedock and the Surfdock business in the Naomh Éanna, although Wakedock also has its own website.

I asked Waterways Ireland how much it was earning from this; it refused to tell me:

Waterways Ireland do not release license fees charged to individual commercial licence holders as this would be detrimental to our business interest in future license fee valuations.

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A tower tower

from grand canal theatre.

Looking from Grand Canal Theatre: note the white ramps

from hanover quay.

Seen from Hanover Quay

looking east towards ringsend

The ramps (looking east towards Ringsend)

looking south from hanover quay at ramps.

A close-up from Hanover Quay

looking south from hanover quay.approx.25 meters

The Naomh Éanna in the background

looking south from sea locks.aprox 50 meters

About 50m from the sea locks

looking west to gallery quay.

Looking west to Gallery Quay

ramp with dredger at charlotte quay.

Ramp in the foreground; excavator at Charlotte Quay in the background

ramps and far line support

Ramps and western line support

ramps and new position of naomh eanna.

Naomh Éanne in its new position

Waterways Ireland tells me that:

When agreeing the location, consideration was given to maintaining access to the pump-out on Hanover Quay and also access to vessels wishing to enter via the lock gates. No detrimental impact on navigation for other users is anticipated.

WI kindly provided this map.

GCD wakeboarding map

GCD wakeboarding map

Semper aliquid novi Africam adferre, as my old grandmother used to say.

 

* see The Third Policeman

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Posted in Ashore, Built heritage, Drainage, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Industrial heritage, Ireland, Operations, Water sports activities, waterways, Waterways management

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CWW bridge

Posted on Monday 4 March 2013 | Leave a comment

Paul Quinn’s photos showed the new Marlborough Street Bridge being constructed across the Liffey. Last Saturday’s Irish Times reported that Dublin City Council would soon be advertising to seek suggestions for naming the bridge; it said that a body called Labour Youth [whose members may be socialists, I fear] wanted it named after one Rosie Hackett, who went on strike  many years ago. It did not report that there is another campaign to have the bridge named after E T S Walton, a physicist.

The north-eastern corner of the bridge features the site of the offices of the City of Dublin Steam Packet Company, whose crest still adorns the walls. I suggest that the bridge be named after the company’s founder, the remarkable Irish entrepreneur Charles Wye Williams: the father of the Shannon, the master of scheduled steam shipping, the founder of the CoDSPCo and a founder director of the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company, godparent of the Irish livestock industry, innovator in marine safety, promoter of the turf industry, writer and experimenter on steam technology, tireless campaigner ….

Apart from his company’s crest on Eden Quay, and his name on a bridge he caused to be built in Limerick, there is no monument to this remarkable man. Name the bridge after him and move the plaque to it (and protect it adequately).

 

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

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News from the Suir

Posted on Friday 1 March 2013 | 2 comments

Some chap from Limerick has been quoted in the Nationalist (Clonmel) as supporting South Tipperary County Council’s proposed taking in charge of the towing-path between Carrick-on-Suir and Clonmel.

And Carrick-on-Suir River Rescue needs help raising funds to buy a premises.

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Posted in Ashore, Built heritage, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Forgotten navigations, Industrial heritage, Ireland, Irish inland waterways vessels, Irish waterways general, Natural heritage, Operations, People, Restoration and rebuilding, Scenery, Sources, Suir, Tourism, Water sports activities, waterways, Waterways management

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Crossing the Liffey

Posted on Thursday 28 February 2013 | 2 comments

Thanks to Paul Quinn for pics of the construction of the new LUAS bridge across the River Liffey in Dublin.

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The Powers That Be

Dublin City Council tells us that “Construction on the bridge is due to commence in Autumn 2011”, which is nice to know, although an update would be nicer. Its PDF has a diagram of the bridge. If you can find anything about the bridge on the website of the National Transport Authority (which is paying for it), do please let me know. Incidentally, I hadn’t realised that the NTA’s reach had extended to passengers on ships, including those on inland waterways.

graham projects

The contractors

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Drilling contractor

The contractor is Graham Projects Ltd; Quinn Piling were working there a few weeks ago, but seem to have finished their end of things by now; I can’t find a website for Hilliard & Hilltwister Ltd of Listowel, Co Kerry.

from o'connell brg.

Looking east from O’Connell Bridge

from butt bridge looking west

Looking west from Butt Bridge

looking north

Looking north from Burgh Quay

looking north from burgh quay

Looking north to the City of Dublin Steam Packet Company offices

looking south from eden quay

Looking south from Eden Quay

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Posted in Ashore, Built heritage, Charles Wye Williams, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Industrial heritage, Ireland, Operations, People, Rail, Restoration and rebuilding, Steamers, Uncategorized, waterways, Waterways management

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Working on the Royal

Posted on Wednesday 27 February 2013 | Leave a comment

Waterways Ireland has temporary seasonal jobs for general operatives based at Thomastown.

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Posted in Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Ireland, Operations, People, waterways, Waterways management

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Shannon Leisure Development Co Ltd

Posted on Monday 25 February 2013 | Leave a comment

No, me neither, but it seems to mean CarrickCraft, which now has Marked Fuel Trader’s Licences for its bases at Banagher and Carrick-on-Shannon, thus swelling the host of the elect.

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

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Project boat available

Posted on Saturday 23 February 2013 | 1 comment

Suitable for conversion to comfortable houseboat. Needs work. Houseboat moorings now available at Shannon Harbour.

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Posted in Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Foreign parts, Ireland, Irish inland waterways vessels, Operations, Restoration and rebuilding, waterways, Waterways management

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