I have uploaded an old article of mine based on an interview with Willie Leech of Killucan, whose father ran the last trading boats on the Royal Canal.
Posted in Economic activities, Extant waterways, Industrial heritage, Ireland, Irish inland waterways vessels, Operations, People, Sources, The turf trade, waterways
Tagged boats, bog ore, bridge, canal, Cloncurry, flyline, gas company, Grand Canal, horse, Ireland, Killucan, L T C Rolt, Leech, Royal Canal, Summerhill, timberhead, town gas, trackline, tug, vessels, waterways
On 17 April 2012 the Northern Ireland Assembly held an enlightening debate about Lough Neagh and its future and ended by resolving
That this Assembly calls on the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure and the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development to convene a working group to explore and pursue actively the potential for a cross-departmental approach to bring Lough Neagh back into public ownership.
The report is here. It is well worth reading by anyone wanting an understanding of the management of the largest lake in These Islands.
Posted in Ashore, Built heritage, Drainage, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Foreign parts, Industrial heritage, Ireland, Natural heritage, Operations, People, Politics, Scenery, Tourism, Ulster Canal, waterways, Waterways management
Tagged Assembly, DUP, eels, Ireland, Lough Neagh, Northern Ireland, sand, SDLP, Shaftesbury, Sinn Fein, UUP
I showed here that very few boat-owners paid the Mineral Oil Tax for 2009 (38) and 2010 (41). I now have the figures for 2011 (MOT paid by 1 March 2012) and I can report that there has been a very significant change, of 46%, in the numbers paying the tax.
Unfortunately the change was downwards, from 41 to 22. The Revenue Commissioners tell me that
[…] there were 22 returns received by 1 March 2012 for 2011, amounting to €53,398.58 MOT [Mineral Oil Tax] on 141,503.29 litres oil.
That’s an average of 6432.1 litres each, which is a lot; I suspect that much of the total came from the hire fleet, with less than twenty private owners making returns.
This ridiculous tax should be scrapped; those operating private pleasure craft should be required to use non-rebated diesel.
… but surely floe, not flow?
His brief notes here.
… it’s raining.
For many years Molly enlivened the Sunday market at Killaloe with her mini-pizzas, breads, chocolate biscuits and other delights — and her good humour. Then, she says, she realised that if she could sell cold pizza in the rain in Killaloe, she could sell hot pizza from the pizza oven, indoors, in Mountshannon. She is now running the Snug restaurant in Mountshannon and has a Facebook page and a website. Hot wings followed by a pizza? I’ll be there ….
Posted in Ashore, Economic activities, Extant waterways, Ireland, People, Shannon
Tagged bruschetta, Clare, coffee, crostini, Ireland, Killaloe, Lough Derg, Molly, Mountshannon, ot wings, pizza, Shannon, Snug, waterways
Here is a page about feeders to the Royal Canal. My confidence in the accuracy of this list is low, so comments would be welcome.
Posted in Ashore, Built heritage, Drainage, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Industrial heritage, Ireland, Irish waterways general, Operations, Sources, waterways, Waterways management, Weather
Tagged Ballynacargy, Balroe, Baltrasna, bridge, canal, Dublin, feeder, Ferns, Ferrans, Inny, Ireland, Kilcock, lock, Lough Ennell, Lough Owel, Mullingar, Operations, Pig's Nostril, Riverstown, Royal Canal, Ryewater, Saunders, Scally, Thomastown, water level, water supply, waterways, Waterways Ireland
Irish waterways history 