Some thoughts on the proposed Special Protection Area for our feathered friends on the estuaries of the Shannon and the Fergus.
How much tax did the birds pay last year? And if (as I suspect) they’ve been keeping their wealth offshore, and contributing little to the rescue of the German banks, how come they get more say in estuarial activities than I do?
Posted in Economic activities, Extant waterways, Ireland, Natural heritage, Non-waterway, Operations, Politics, Scenery, shannon estuary, Tourism, Water sports activities, waterways
Tagged birds, birds directive, department of arts heritage and the gaeltacht, estuary, Fergus, Ireland, Shannon, shotgun, special protection area, waterways
In 1840 the rival steamers Dover Castle and Garryowen competed for traffic on the Shannon Estuary. While I know of no pictures of the steamers (if you know of any, please let me know), we have a reasonable amount of information about their operations. I discuss some aspects of those operations here. For an explanation of the page title, see here, but do not be diverted down this byway.
Posted in Built heritage, Charles Wye Williams, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Forgotten navigations, Industrial heritage, Irish inland waterways vessels, Operations, People, Scenery, shannon estuary, Sources, Steamers, The cattle trade, The turf trade, Tourism, Water sports activities, Waterways management
Tagged boats, bridge, Cahercon, Cahircon, Cappa, Charles Wye Williams, Clare, Dover Castle, Fergus, Foynes, Garryowen, Glin, Ireland, jetties, Kerry, Kilrush, Labasheeda, Limerick, Limerick Reporter, lock, Loughill, Maria Frances Dickson, Operations, quay, Red Gap, Shannon, Steamboat Quay, Tarbert, turf, vessels, waterways, Wellesley Bridge
The ad for the sale of the Shannon Estuary steamer Dover Castle in 1840.
Posted in Built heritage, Economic activities, Extant waterways, Forgotten navigations, Industrial heritage, Irish inland waterways vessels, Operations, shannon estuary, Steamers, Tourism
Tagged Bally, boats, Dover Castle, Fergus, Ireland, Kilrush, Limerick, Maudslay, Operations, Shannon, shannon estuary, Shoreham, steamer, vessels, waterways
A Shannon Commissioners quay that is not at all boring. Shipbuilding,
barges, mud: what’s not to like?
Posted in Ashore, Built heritage, Charles Wye Williams, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Forgotten navigations, Industrial heritage, Irish inland waterways vessels, Irish waterways general, Operations, People, Restoration and rebuilding, shannon estuary, Steamers, The cattle trade, Waterways management
Tagged barge, Bindon Scott, boats, Cahercon, Cahiracon, Cahircon, Clare, explosive, famine, Fergus, harbormaster, Ireland, jetties, Kildysart, Limerick, Matrisha, Mudge, Operations, quay, sea-manure, Shannon, steel, turf, vessels, waterways, Whelan
No, not a rugby player, but a replica of one of the Shannon estuary workboats — the Massey Fergusons of their day — that carried turf towards Limerick and limestone back, as well as anything else that needed shifting further, or in larger quantities, than the canoes could manage.
The boat is being built at Querrin; see this article in the Irish Times.
Posted in Ashore, Built heritage, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Industrial heritage, Irish inland waterways vessels, Operations, Restoration and rebuilding, shannon estuary, The turf trade
Tagged boats, canoe, Clare, currach, Dixie Collins, Fergus, hooker, Ireland, jetties, Kerry, Limerick, limestone, Operations, quay, Querrin, Shannon, turf, vessels, waterways, workboat
The Shannon Commissioners didn’t, but who did? Read about it here. Topics covered include a quad bike, a gandalow and a mausoleum.
Posted in Ashore, Built heritage, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Forgotten navigations, Industrial heritage, Operations, shannon estuary, Steamers, The cattle trade, Waterways management
Tagged Aughinish, Bindon Scott, boats, Cahircon, causeway, channel, Clare, Darina Tully, Fergus, ferry, ford, gandalow, Inishcorker, Ireland, jetties, Kildysart, Kildysert, Killadysart, Killadysert, Limerick, mausoleum, Operations, pontoon, quad bike, quay, Shannon, Shannon Commissioners, turf, waterways, workboat
The cattle-carrying lighters and other interesting boats at Crovraghan.
Posted in Ashore, Built heritage, Economic activities, Extant waterways, Forgotten navigations, Industrial heritage, Irish inland waterways vessels, Operations, People, Scenery, shannon estuary, The cattle trade
Tagged boats, cattle, Clare, Crovraghan, Darina Tully, Fergus, ferry, gandalow, gandelow, ganlo, Illaunbeg, Ireland, islands, lighter, Operations, Paradise, Shannon, Shannon cot, T R Henn, vessels, Waterways Ireland, workboat
Rosscliff is a cattle port on the Fergus estuary. It is not clear whether this is the location of the quay referred to by Lewis and the Parliamentary Gazetteer in their entries for Ballinacally (Ballynacally).
Posted in Ashore, Built heritage, Economic activities, Extant waterways, Forgotten navigations, Industrial heritage, Irish inland waterways vessels, Operations, Scenery, shannon estuary, The cattle trade
Tagged Ballinacally, Ballynacally, boats, carvel, cattle, Clare, clinker, creek, Darina Tully, Deer Island, Fergus, ferry, gandalo, gandalow, gandelow, ganlo, Ireland, jetties, lighter, mud, Operations, Paradise, quay, Shannon, vessels, workboat, yawl
Another of the quays on the west side of the Fergus estuary: Lackannashinnagh, near Killadysert (Kildysert).
Posted in Ashore, Built heritage, Economic activities, Extant waterways, Forgotten navigations, Industrial heritage, Irish inland waterways vessels, Operations, Rail, shannon estuary, Steamers
Tagged Admiralty, Aughinish, Bianconi, boats, Clare, Clyde Puffer, county council, Crovraghan, Darina Tully, Fergus, Foynes, gandelow, heritage, Inishcorker, Ireland, James Wolfe, jetties, Kildysert, Killadysert, Lackannashinnagh, Limerick, Operations, Plautus. Shamrock, quay, sailing directions, Shannon, Turk, vessels, waterways, workboat
Ballycorick Bridge is north of Ballynacally, on the western side of the Fergus estuary in Co Clare. There is a small quay just below the bridge; Samuel Lewis mentioned the trade to that quay in 1837, and it stayed in use until the 1950s.
Posted in Ashore, Built heritage, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Forgotten navigations, Industrial heritage, Irish inland waterways vessels, Natural heritage, Operations, shannon estuary
Tagged Ballinakella Press, Ballycorick, Ballycorig, Bannatynes, barony of Islands, boats, bridge, Clare, Clondagad, Clondegad, creek, Fergus, five arches, Ireland, jetties, John Bickerdyke's, Limerick, lost, mud, Operations, Owenslieve, Paradise, quay, Ranks, river, Sammo estuarius, Samuel Lewis, Shannon, slob trout, Theodore Cook, Thomas Rice Henn, vessels, water level, waterways, Wild Sports in Ireland
Irish waterways history