Tag Archives: Derry Castle

Phoenix

Posted on Thursday 19 October 2017 | 1 comment

On Wednesday 25 October 2017, at 7.00pm, Sandra Lefroy will be talking about the Phoenix, the (formerly steam-powered) vessel built in 1872, at the Malcolmson-owned Neptune Iron Works in Waterford, for Francis Spaight of Derry Castle on Lough Derg. The venue is the library in Killaloe, which is on the site of the lockhouse.

History afloat. The life and times of the Phoenix: a unique 1872-vintage heritage boat of Killaloe and Ballina

Now almost unique, the nineteenth-century Phoenix is one of the most historical boats in Ireland. She has been based in Killaloe for much of her life, mostly in the ownership of the Lefroy family. Sandra Lefroy will tell us something of the history of this wonderful craft, and what it is like to live on board a heritage vessel.

Details here.

1 Comment

Posted in Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Historical matters, Industrial heritage, Ireland, Irish inland waterways vessels, Modern matters, People, Shannon, Steamers, Water sports activities, waterways, Waterways management

Tagged , , , , , , ,

The storm on the Shannon

Posted on Friday 23 January 2015 | Leave a comment

Turf boat above Killaloe: Admiralty Surveyors' sketch 1839 [by kind permission of the UK National Archives]

Turf boat above Killaloe: Admiralty Surveyors’ sketch 1839 [by kind permission of the UK National Archives]

On Tuesday last, a boat laden with turf, and manned by three persons — two Quins, brothers, young boys, and the owner, Martin Houlagan — left the County of Galway side of the Shannon for Killaloe. The weather became so very rough, it was late before they neared the quay at Derry Castle; but, unfortunately, when within view of safety, a squall split the sail, and the little vessel capsized, and, with the two Quins, sank to the bottom.

Houlagan swam to the shore, but it was so dark he could not find his way; he got inside a sheltered ditch from the inclemency of the night, but was found, in the morning, a lifeless corpse.

Northern Whig 26 November 1840 quoting the Nenagh Guardian

Leave a comment

Posted in Economic activities, Extant waterways, Ireland, Irish inland waterways vessels, Operations, Safety, Shannon, Sources, The turf trade, Uncategorized, waterways, Weather

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Plasticine

Posted on Thursday 9 August 2012 | 2 comments

Why, when speaking of the branded product Plasticine, did [do?] Irish teachers insist on using the Irish word marla? Even that word was, according to Terry Dolan’s Dictionary of Hiberno-English [Gill & Macmillan, Dublin 2004; new ed forthcoming], derived from the English marl.

At least in the nineteenth century, marl was a valuable manure or fertiliser and, on Lough Derg, Mr Head of the Derry Estate introduced a system of dredging it from deep water. Read about it here.

 

2 Comments

Posted in Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Industrial heritage, Ireland, Irish inland waterways vessels, Operations, People, Scenery, Shannon, Sources, Steamers, The cattle trade, waterways

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,