Question 3651, put to George Halpin, Inspector of Works at the Ballast Board, Dublin, at a session of the House of Commons Select Committee on the Dublin and Kingstown Ship Canal on 16 July 1833, Daniel O’Connell in the chair:
Who is Captain Bligh?
A very eminent nautical surveyor. […]
I thought everyone would have known about Bligh: wasn’t he famous for his breadfruit?
Posted in Built heritage, Charles Wye Williams, Drainage, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Foreign parts, Industrial heritage, Ireland, Operations, People, Politics, Sea, Sources, Steamers, The cattle trade, waterways, Waterways management
Tagged ballast board, barge, boats, breadfruit, canal, Captain Bligh, Daniel O'Connell, Dublin, dublin and kingstown, estuary, George halpin, Grand Canal, Ireland, jetties, lock, Operations, port, quay, Royal Canal, ship, ship canal, waterways
One of the problems with all this newfangled technology is that some things — like, for instance, copying a block of text from one document into another – are so easy that folk may forget to check their work afterwards.
Consider, for instance, the Office of Public Works, which seems to have a block of boilerplate text ready for answering written boilerplate questions from midlands TDs who have discovered that things get wet when it rains.
On 22 January 2014 Denis Naughten [Ind, Roscommon/South Leitrim, which — let it be admitted — The Lord intended to be rather boggy and sad] had this question:
To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the steps being taken to address flood risks within the Shannon basin; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The answer tells Mr Naughten about CFRAM — nothing he didn’t know before he asked, I imagine — but it included this sentence:
On foot of discussions between my colleague, Minister of State Hayes and the IFA, and with the cooperation of both the ESB and Waterways Ireland, a water level monitoring exercise is being carried out as part of the CFRAM process which will allow for analysis of water flows and levels at key points around the Lough Ree and Callows areas.
The highlighting is mine: it seemed a bit odd because this written answer was allegedly being given by Mr Hayes.
Mr Naughten had another Q&A here, but it’s not very interesting.
Posted in Ashore, Drainage, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Ireland, Irish waterways general, Natural heritage, Operations, People, Politics, Shannon, Sources, The cattle trade, waterways, Waterways management, Weather
Tagged boats, CFRAM, ESB, floods, flow, Ireland, Office of Public Works, OPW, Shannon, water level, waterways, Waterways Ireland, weir
Some recent(ish) discussions amongst the People’s Representatives. I haven’t time to analyse them all. All links courtesy of the estimable KildareStreeet.com.
Brendan Smith [FF, Cavan-Monaghan] wants a sheugh in Clones; he got the usual answer. And he allowed Jimmy Deenihan [FG, Kerry North/West Limerick] to announce, on 19 December 2013, the death of the suggested extension of the Erne navigation to Lough Oughter [loud cheers]:
Brendan Smith: To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he has received the feasibility study on the proposed extension of the Erne navigation from Belturbet to Killeshandra and Killykeen; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Jimmy Deenihan: I am informed by Waterways Ireland that it commissioned a Strategic Environment Assessment for the possible extension of the Erne Navigation from Belturbet to Killeshandra and Killykeen.
On reviewing the environmental information from this process, Waterways Ireland considers that the environmental designations of this lake complex make the feasibility of the proposed navigation extension highly unviable. For that reason, I am advised that Waterways Ireland does not propose to pursue this project any further at this time.
Well, that’s one minor victory for sanity. Here’s how a dredger got to Lough Oughter in 1857.
Maureen O’Sullivan is anxious to recreate the economy of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries by using canals for carrying cargoes. Especially on the Shannon–Erne Waterway, where commercial carrying was so successful before. [What is it about the Irish left?] Thank goodness that the sainted Leo Varadkar gave not an inch: someone should make that man Taoiseach, President and Minister for Finance. And Supreme Ruler of The Universe and Space.
The web-footed inhabitants of the midlands, who have discovered that they live in a flat area with rivers, keep wittering on about Shannon flooding, failing to realise that it is a message from The Lord, telling them to either (a) move to higher ground, eg Dublin, or build arks. On 15 January 2014 Brian Hayes told Denis Naughten, inter alia, that info from the recent OPW/CFRAM monitoring of water levels on Lough Ree (which I think was when the levels were lowered) would be placed on the OPW website “in the coming days”; I haven’t been able to find it yet so I’ve emailed the OPW to ask about it. And on 21 January one James Bannon said that he intends to introduce a bill setting up a Shannon authority, which will have magical powers. Well, if it doesn’t have magical powers it won’t be able to stop the Shannon flooding, but perhaps it’s designed to allow the unemployed landowners of Ireland another forum in which to demand taxpayers’ money to prop up their uneconomic activities.
Finally, a senator called John Whelan wants a longer consultation period on the proposed amendments to the canals bye-laws. I suppose I’d better read them myself.
Posted in Ashore, Built heritage, Drainage, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Foreign parts, Forgotten navigations, Industrial heritage, Ireland, Irish inland waterways vessels, Irish waterways general, Natural heritage, Non-waterway, Operations, People, Politics, Restoration and rebuilding, Scenery, Shannon, Sources, Steamers, The cattle trade, Tourism, Ulster Canal, Water sports activities, waterways, Waterways management, Weather
Tagged barge, Barrow, boats, bridge, bye-laws, canal, Cavan, CFRAM, Clones, department of arts heritage and the gaeltacht, dredger, Dublin, Erne, floods, Grand Canal, Ireland, Leo Varadkar, lock, Lough Derg, Lough Oughter, Lough Ree, Operations, OPW, Royal Canal, Shannon, Shannon-Erne Waterway, sheugh, steamer, Ulster Canal, vessels, water level, waterways, Waterways Ireland, weir, workboat
I have emailed this query to Waterways Ireland today:
I would be grateful if you could tell me
(a) which, if any, persons Waterways Ireland has appointed as authorised persons for the purposes of Part 2 of the Maritime Safety Act 2005
(b) which, if any, authorised persons have been provided with training and instruction in the exercise of the power of arrest, as provided for in Section 13 (2) (b), and have been issued with warrants as
provided for in Section 13 (2) (c).
I note in Section 17 that
(9) Every authorised person appointed under this section shall be furnished with a warrant of his or her appointment as an authorised person and when exercising any power conferred on him or her by this Part as an authorised person shall, unless in uniform, if requested by a person affected, produce the warrant or a copy thereof to that person.
I regret that I had not noticed those provisions earlier.
Posted in Ashore, Economic activities, Extant waterways, Ireland, Irish inland waterways vessels, Irish waterways general, Operations, People, Politics, Safety, Tourism, Water sports activities, waterways, Waterways management
Tagged barge, Barrow, boats, canal, Erne, Grand Canal, Ireland, Lough Derg, Maritime Safety Act 2005, Operations, power of arrest, Royal Canal, Shannon, Shannon-Erne Waterway, Ulster Canal, waterways, Waterways Ireland
Waterways Ireland has been putting out more and more stuff on its website.
If you haven’t already seen them, you can get the full set of Product Development Studies, in PDF format, here.
Even more interesting, to this site, are the waterway heritage surveys. Those for all waterways other than the Shannon are available here. The Shannon study was done some years ago (I remember making some comments on it at the time) and will be uploaded “in due course”.
I was in a WI office yesterday and had a quick look at the Lower Bann survey, which was done by Fred Hamond (so we know it will be good), and I’m looking forward to learning more about the waterway I know least about. It is done thematically and has lots of illustrations: Fred is able to see and present the bigger picture, but a full database, with all the supporting information, is available on request.
Posted in Ashore, Built heritage, Charles Wye Williams, Drainage, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Foreign parts, Forgotten navigations, Industrial heritage, Ireland, Irish inland waterways vessels, Natural heritage, Operations, People, Politics, Rail, Restoration and rebuilding, Shannon, Sources, Steamers, The cattle trade, The fishing trade, The turf trade, Tourism, waterways, Waterways management
Tagged barge, Barrow, boats, bridge, canal, Clare, Dublin, Erne, Grand Canal, Guinness, heritage, Ireland, jetties, Killaloe, Limerick, lock, lost, Lough Derg, Lough Neagh, Lower Bann, Operations, Royal Canal, Shannon, Shannon-Erne Waterway, steamer, Ulster Canal, vessels, waterways, Waterways Ireland
I am happy to report that Maureen O’Sullivan TD [Ind, Dublin Central] asked some sensible written questions in the Dáil on 15 January 2014.
Under the rather odd heading “Waterways Ireland Remit“, she asked Jimmy Deenihan [FG, Kerry North/West Limerick; Minister for the City of Culture]
[…] if he will include work on land maps to determine what land abutting the canals is owned privately, by Waterways Ireland, the Railway Procurement Agency, Iarnrod Éireann, Dublin City Council, Office of Public Works or other; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The minister replied:
I am informed that Waterways Ireland already has an ongoing programme to modernise historic canal ownership maps and register navigation property in its ownership.
She put another question to Jimmy Deenihan under the same heading; you can see the link between the two questions:
[…] having regard to the prospective re-opening of the Royal Canal towpath at Portland Place in Summer 2014 further to the refurbishment of the collapsed wall at Portland Place and having regard also to the Spencer Dock Greenway Project and the re-lining works to be carried out at the sixth level, if he will direct Waterways Ireland to commission a strategic environment assessment for a new canal-side walkway along the south side of the sixth level of the Royal Canal at Phibsborough from Shandon Gardens to the railway bridge at the seventh lock with a new pedestrian crossing (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The only problem with this is that even getting an environmental assessment done is likely to strain WI’s budget at the moment, so it’s not a good time to be suggesting new expenditure. However, it didn’t matter in this case, as Jimmy Deenihan explained:
I am informed by Waterways Ireland that it does not own the lands on the southside of the Royal Canal between Shandon Gardens and the 7th lock, at Liffey Junction and therefore will not be commissioning a Strategic Environment Assessment for a new canalside walkway.
She also asked Alan Kelly [Labour, Tipperary North] about that:
[…] noting that it is the intention of the National Transport Authority to pursue a cycling and walking greenway along the Royal Canal in Dublin city, if he will ask Iarnród Eireann, the Railway Procurement Agency and Dublin City Council to assess the viability of opening a new walkway along the Royal Canal, 6th level, from Shandon Gardens to the 7th lock with a new footbridge at the 7th lock railway crossing linking to the existing Greenway route; if, in particular, this option will be explored alongside any re-lining work that might be undertaken by Waterways Ireland along that level.
He said:
The development of walking and cycling facilities within the Greater Dublin Area is a matter for the National Transport Authority (NTA) in conjunction with the relevant local authority, which is Dublin City Council in this case.
The NTA provides funding to local authorities for a range of schemes to benefit pedestrians, including new walkways, under the Sustainable Transport Management Grants Programme. Accordingly, I have sent your request to the NTA and have asked them to reply to you directly in relation to the above matter.
I’m all in favour of getting money from other people to pay for waterways.
Finally, under the heading of Inland Waterways Development, she had another question for Jimmy Deenihan:
[…] if he will explore all possible options within current fiscal constraints to advance and develop the potential of the Royal and Grand canal lines that pass through Dublin city; if he will establish an inter-agency group on the Dublin City reaches of the Royal and Grand canals; if he will explore ways to advance their development, examining funding options, including existing funding streams and the leveraging of funding from other sources and the possibility of EU funding which may be available.
I might say at this stage that I don’t see why TDs are asking ministers about stuff that they could find out themselves by asking WI directly. It’s not as though they’re going to get a lot of favourable publicity by doing so: this isn’t the PAC grilling a hospital or charity board and the meeja aren’t really interested.
Anyway, Jimmy Deenihan replied:
As the Deputy may be aware, the Dublin City Canals Study [PDF] was launched on 20th July 2010. This was prepared by consultants on behalf of Waterways Ireland, Fáilte Ireland, Dublin Docklands Development Authority and Dublin City Council. The study examined the existing activities on the Royal and Grand Canals and identified an overall vision for the development of the City Canals within the M50. I am advised that following on from the study an Operations Liaison Group plus two sub-groups (one for the Royal Canal and one for the Grand Canal) were established and continue to meet to deliver the recommendations identified, within the current fiscal constraints.
I am informed that to complement the above study, Waterways Ireland engaged additional consultants to carry out a detailed study of Grand Canal Dock and Spencer Dock with the objective of producing a Master Plan, currently at draft stage, that realises their potential as a recreational amenity and a living, vibrant part of Dublin and its Docklands. Waterways Ireland will continue to work collaboratively to unlock the pivotal role of these two major docks and to attract funding to develop a maritime quarter within the city of Dublin.
I wasn’t very impressed by the Dublin City Canals Study, which didn’t seem to me to be rooted in actual conditions in Dublin. I will look forward to seeing the master plan for the two dock areas.
Anyway, that was a more sensible set of questions from Maureen O’Sullivan, and it kept her off the subject of Effin Bridge.
Posted in Ashore, Built heritage, Drainage, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Industrial heritage, Ireland, Non-waterway, Operations, People, Politics, Rail, Restoration and rebuilding, Scenery, Sources, Tourism, Water sports activities, waterways, Waterways management
Tagged barge, boats, bridge, canal, Dublin, Grand Canal, Grand Canal Dock, Ireland, Liffey Junction, lock, Maureen O'Sullivan, Operations, Phibsboro, Ringsend, Royal Canal, Spencer Dock, waterways, Waterways Ireland
Hunt’s Universal Yacht List for 1852 has a small ad from Henry Teall.
Henry Teall,
Ship Builder,
Brunswick Dock Yard and Patent Slip, DublinEstablished 1841
H Teall, begs respectfully to inform the Owners of Yachts, that his Establishment maintains superior facilities for the Building and Repairing of Yachts to any other establishment in Dublin, having always an extensive supply of every requisite in the trade, and employing the best workmen in the port.
It lists these yachts built by Teall:
Brilliant, 8 tons
Rover, 18 tons
Marina, 20 tons
Fairy Queen, 12 tons
Belle, 60 tons
Circe, 20 tons
Trio, 53 tons.
A note on Marina says
This Yacht is of novel construction, the bow being extended sufficiently to set the jib without the bowsprit, giving a much finer entrance as well as allowing more beam.
Our yachting correspondent tells us that Yachts without bowsprits are now becoming common.
Hunt also lists yachts built by George Marchall, Ringsend, Dublin:
Atalanta, 27 tons
Foam, 17 tons
Eagle, 15 tons
Halcyon, 10 tons
Lord of the Isles, 14 tons
Spray, 14 tons
Daring, 17 tons
Kelpie, 18 tons
Swallow, 16 tons
Banshee, 10 tons
Emerald, 10 tons
Water Wyvern, 45 tons
Gipsy, 10 tons
Priestess, 12 tons
Syren, 16 tons
Cormorant, 15 tons
Avenger, 10 tons
Irish Lily, 80 tons
Posted in Ashore, Built heritage, Charles Wye Williams, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Industrial heritage, Ireland, Irish inland waterways vessels, Irish waterways general, Operations, People, Sea, Sources, Water sports activities, waterways
Tagged boats, boatyard, canal, dockyard, Dublin, George Marshall, Grand Canal, Henry Teall, Ireland, patent slip, Ringsend, yacht
William Watson, of the City of Dublin Steam Packet Company, held patents for a double canal boat, capable of being shortened to pass through locks, and for a form of composite construction for boats, with iron ribs and wooden planking. I found recently that at least one composite boat was built for the CoDSPCo at the Brunswick boatyard in Ringsend, Dublin.
The invaluable Grace’s Guide had no entry for the Brunswick boatyard/dockyard but, when I mentioned the matter, undertook some research and produced a page about it. Grace’s and I would welcome any more information about that yard; as the Guide says:
The precise location of the dockyard has yet to be identified.
Pat Sweeney’s Liffey Ships and Shipbuilding (Mercier 2010) just mentions Henry Teal [sic]; Irish Maritime History’s list is light on early nineteenth century construction.
I would welcome information about other yards that might have built vessels for the CoDSPCo.
Posted in Ashore, Built heritage, Charles Wye Williams, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Industrial heritage, Ireland, Irish inland waterways vessels, Operations, People, Shannon, Sources, Steamers, The cattle trade, waterways, Waterways management
Tagged barge, boats, bridge, Brunswick, canal, City of Dublin Steam Packet Company, CoDSPCo, composite construction, Dublin, Grace's Guide, Grand Canal, Henry Teall, Ireland, Killaloe, Limerick, Lough Derg, lumber-boat, Operations, Ringsend, Shannon, steamer, trade boat, vessels, waterways, William Watson, workboat
I wrote here about Watson’s Double Canal Boat, saying inter alia that, in 1839, William Watson, manager of the inland department of the City of Dublin Steam Packet Company, patented:
an improvement in the construction of ships, and which improvement is also applicable to all kinds of sea-going vessels; and also certain improvements in the construction of boats and other vessels intended to be used on canals and inland navigations. [1]
I quoted the Mechanics’ Magazine of December 1839, which said that:
Three canal barges have already been built upon Mr Watson’s plan of construction, of 60 tons burthen each, and with eminent success.[2]
I said that the size suggested that these canal barges were for the CoDSPCo’s Irish inland operations, but that I had no information about where they were built. I have now found information about one builder.
SHIP BUILDING
On Thursday, the 22nd instant, a fine new trade boat, built with iron ribs, according to the patent of William Watson, Esq., and belonging to the City of Dublin Steam company, also a new smack, 50 tons measurement, were launched from the Brunswick dock-yard, Ringsend Docks.[3]
I would be grateful for more information.
[1] “List of patents granted for Scotland from 18th March to 18th June 1839” in The Edinburgh New Philosophical Journal , exhibiting a view of the progressive discoveries and improvements in the sciences and the arts Vol XXVII No LIII — July 1839; “List of English patents granted between the 25th of May and the 25th of June, 1839” in The Mechanics’ Magazine No 829, Saturday, June 29, 1839
[2] The Mechanics’ Magazine Vol XXXII No 855 28 December 1839
[3] The Freeman’s Journal Saturday 24 July 1841. An almost identical note appeared in the Dublin Evening Mail of Monday 26 July 1841.
Posted in Built heritage, Charles Wye Williams, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Industrial heritage, Ireland, Irish inland waterways vessels, Operations, People, Shannon, Steamers, The cattle trade, waterways
Tagged barge, boats, Brunswick Dockyard, canal, Charles Wye Williams, City of Dublin Steam Packet Company, composite construction, Dublin, Grand Canal, Ireland, iron, Operations, Ringsend, vessels, waterways, William Watson, workboat
From the Newcastle Courant 8 December 1843:
WARLIKE PREPARATIONS. — The Penelope steam-frigate has arrived in Kingstown harbour, loaded almost to the water’s edge with large gun-boats. They are intended for the Upper [ie non-tidal] Shannon, and the large lakes formed by that river in its progress towards the lower branch. A considerable number of persons were collected on the banks of the canal to witness their being towed to Portobello from the basin at Ringsend. They are immense boats, with great beam, capable of carrying two guns, and accommodating a large body of men. They are double banked, and each pulled by twelve rowers. As floating batteries they are most formidable, and furnish an important, as well as a novel, addition to the armament already existing in this country.
Posted in Extant waterways, Ireland, Irish inland waterways vessels, Operations, Shannon, waterways, Waterways management
Tagged boats, canal, double-banked, Dublin, Grand Canal, gunboat, guns, Ireland, Lough Derg, Lough Ree, oars, Penelope, Portobello, Ringsend, Shannon, steam-frigate, vessels, waterways
Irish waterways history