When I heard that the North–South Ministerial Council had, at its fourteenth Waterways meeting on 12 October 2011, approved certain disposals of property by Waterways Ireland, I assumed that WI was probably flogging off property to fund capital projects. The reality is rather less exciting, and I am grateful to the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht for enlightening me by supplying this list of those properties:
(i) granting of an easement to Kildare County Council for services across the Grand Canal at Clonaghlis, Ardclough, Co. Kildare, as part of the Ardclough Flood Alleviation Scheme
(ii) granting of a 5 year lease to Thomas C Whelan and Brendan Whelan for an area of Shannon waterway measuring approximately 240.70 sq m and jetty (2 berths) at Gings Pub, Cortober, Carrick on Shannon
(iii) granting of an easement for services to Kildare County Council to facilitate a Grand Canal crossing at Boston, Co. Kildare as part of the Castlewarden to Ballygoran Pipeline & Reservoir Scheme
(iv) granting of an easement for services to Kildare County Council, to facilitate a Royal Canal crossing at Confey, Leixlip as part of the North Leixlip Sewerage Scheme
(v) granting of an easement for services to Kildare County Council to facilitate a Royal Canal crossing east of Pike Bridge, Donaghmore, Maynooth, Co. Kildare as part of the Ballygoran to Collinstown Watermain Scheme
(vi) granting of easements to Westmeath County Council to provide two sewerage pipes and two storm overflow discharges across the Shannon at Athlone as part of the Athlone Sewerage Scheme
(vii) granting of a 99 year lease to Córas Iompair Éireann for the proposed construction of a road bridge, crossing the Royal Canal at Ratoath Road, Dublin
(viii) granting of an easement to Dublin City Council for utility ducts installed in the towpath of the Grand Canal at Harcourt Terrace and Leeson Street, Dublin
(ix) granting of a licence to Dublin City Council to upgrade the towpath at Charlemont Place for use as a cycle trackway.
As I noted in my posting about waste collection, WI staff have to deal with a whole lot of issues that are not directly relevant to boating, with the result that whole areas of their work are not apparent to, and thus not appreciated by, outside observers. I am glad to be able to cast light on this small corner of WI activities.
Irish waterways history 