Tag Archives: Ireland canals Grand Royal

Monasterevan, the Venice of the west

This is a considerably expanded and updated version of an article I wrote years ago, with lots of photos. There are traces of three lost waterways to be seen in Monasterevan (my favoured spelling) and lots of other interesting waterways artefacts as well. There is even an operational puzzle: in the days when boats locked down from the canal to the Barrow, and locked back up on the far side, how were they propelled (and controlled) when crossing the river?

Steam on the Grand Canal

I have uploaded a report by Sir John MacNeill on experiments with steam boats on the Irish Grand Canal in 1851. The Grand Canal Company evidently asked him to compare two vessels; interestingly, one of them was a twin-screw boat. His recommendations include a change to the use of canal-boats with a beam of 6′ 6″ and the use of turf (peat) as a fuel.

Dublin’s canals

Waterways Ireland has commissioned British consultants to study the canals of Dublin and their associated docks. Dublin City Council, Failte Ireland and Dublin Docklands Development Authority are also involved.

The consultants have put up a web-based survey “to obtain views from interested organisations and establishments […] as
well as local residents and community groups.” The first ten or eleven questions are fairly bland but from Q12 onwards you get an opportunity to  suggest how Dublin’s canals can be restored to life. Save them from becoming abandoned waterways by completing the survey.