Have a look at the water level at Banagher Bridge. As I write at 0823 on 20130322, the latest data is 23 minutes old. The level has been falling for the last five weeks, but are there already signs of an uptick? (Or am I assuming there should be one after last night’s rain?)
Not interested in Banagher? Pick your own spot.
John Martin, Chief Executive (or, as we say in Ulster Scots, Heid Fector) of Waterways Ireland, was due to retire at the end of March 2013. The job has not yet been advertised and Mr Martin has been asked to stay on until his successor has been appointed.
His retirement was not a surprise: for instance, as I reported here, Ministers thanked him at the North-South Ministerial Council meeting on 121212:
Ministers thanked John Martin CEO of Waterways Ireland who is due to retire in March next year for his contribution to the Body and noted the process for appointing a new CEO.
So why the delay? It is of course possible that headhunters are beating the bushes seeking retired chief executives of waterways bodies who could be persuaded to apply, but I would have thought that a public position should be publicly advertised. I have asked the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht for information.
Posted in Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Foreign parts, Ireland, Irish waterways general, Operations, People, Politics, Restoration and rebuilding, Shannon, Sources, Uncategorized, waterways, Waterways management
Tagged British Waterways, C&RT, department of arts heritage and the gaeltacht, Ireland, John Martin, Robin Evans, Ulster Canal, waterways, Waterways Ireland
I asked NAMA (or rather its PR agency) how many private pleasure craft (boats) are “in NAMA”, having been owned by individuals or companies whose loans are now with NAMA.
I was told that “[…] the Agency has had an interest in less than five boats; all bar one of these have been sold.”
My guess is that that means four boats, which is not many, although I don’t see why private pleasure craft should be business assets (other than for, say, hire firms) in the first place. I don’t know whether any of them were based on inland waterways.
I have not asked banks or other lenders how many boats they have had in their fleets.
Posted in Ashore, Built heritage, Charles Wye Williams, Drainage, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Industrial heritage, Ireland, Irish inland waterways vessels, Operations, People, Restoration and rebuilding, Shannon, Sources, Steamers, The cattle trade, The turf trade, Water sports activities, waterways, Waterways management
Tagged Albert Lock, Ardnacrusha, Athlone, barge, Battlebridge, boats, Boyle, canal, Clare, Clarendon, Clondra, Drumleague, Drumshanbo, ESB, floods, Ireland, Jamestown, Killaloe, Limerick, lock, Lough Allen, Lough Derg, Meelick, Operations, Richmond Harbour, Rooskey, Royal Canal, Shannon, Tarmonbarry, vessels, Victoria Lock, waterways, Waterways Ireland
Here is a table showing the sizes of the locks on the (now abandoned) Limerick Navigation.
Posted in Ashore, Built heritage, Charles Wye Williams, Drainage, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Forgotten navigations, Industrial heritage, Ireland, Irish inland waterways vessels, Non-waterway, Operations, Restoration and rebuilding, Shannon, shannon estuary, Sources, Steamers, The cattle trade, Tourism, waterways, Waterways management
Tagged Abbey River, Annaghbeg, Ardnacrusha, barge, boats, bridge, canal, Clare, clonlara, Cussane, Errina, ESB, estuary, flooded area, floods, flow, Gillogue, Ireland, jetties, Killaloe, Limerick, lock, lost, Lough Derg, Monaskeha, Moys, Newtown, O'Briensbridge, Operations, Park, Parteen Villa Weir, Plassey, quay, Shannon, steamer, turf, vessels, water level, waterways, Waterways Ireland, weir
The Revenue Commissioners’ latest list of holders of marked fuel trader’s licences doesn’t seem to have any new names on it. So, as far as I can see, there are no licensed sellers on the Grand Canal, the Royal Canal, the Barrow, the Shannon–Erne Waterway or that part of the Erne in the republic. There are seven licensed sellers on the Shannon, with none north of Carrick-on-Shannon or south of Portumna. The seven licensed sellers are (north to south):
If I’ve left anybody out, please let me know and I’ll correct my error.
Note that the requirement for a licence includes anyone delivering green diesel, or keeping it for delivery, so that purporting not to charge for the diesel makes no difference.
Posted in Ashore, Economic activities, Extant waterways, Ireland, Irish inland waterways vessels, Operations, People, Politics, Shannon, Sources, Tourism, Water sports activities, waterways, Waterways management
Tagged Ballyleague, Banagher, Barrow, Carrick-on-Shannon, Erne, Grand Canal, green diesel, Ireland, Killinure, Lough Derg, marked fuel trader's licence, Portumna, Rooskey, Royal Canal, Shannon, Shannon-Erne Waterway, waterways
… never! More? No, not if you mean Shannon-based fuel suppliers: I can’t find any more on the latest list.
WI & L&MK at Lowtown, with pics and map, here.
Posted in Ashore, Built heritage, Charles Wye Williams, Drainage, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Industrial heritage, Ireland, Operations, Restoration and rebuilding, Sources, Steamers, The cattle trade, The turf trade, Tourism, Water sports activities, waterways, Waterways management
Tagged barge, Barrow, boats, bridge, canal, Dublin, flow, Grand Canal, Ireland, jetties, L&M Keating Ltd, lock, Lowtown, Operations, Shannon, steamer, turf, vessels, water level, waterways, Waterways Ireland, weir, workboat
Mark Twain wrote:
There is something fascinating about science. One gets such wholesale returns of conjecture out of such a trifling investment of fact.
I have indulged in just such conjecture about the design of the ferry boat in use at Cammoge in 1849, crossing the outlet from Poulnasherry Bay, west of Kilrush on the Shannon estuary. The news reports of the time give very little information about the design of the boat, and the reliability of that information is questionable, which makes my speculation even more dangerous. Nonetheless, I thought it might be useful to set out some thoughts on the subject in the hope that other folk, who know more about the background, the location or naval architecture than I do, might be able to help to clarify the design.
Posted in Drainage, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Forgotten navigations, Industrial heritage, Ireland, Irish inland waterways vessels, Operations, People, Politics, Restoration and rebuilding, Scenery, Shannon, shannon estuary, Sources, The turf trade, waterways, Weather
Tagged 1849, boats, Cammoge, Clare, Commogue, drown, estuary, famine, ferry, floods, flow, horse boat, Ireland, Kilrush, Limerick, Operations, Poulnasherry, quay, Shannon, turf, vessels, workboat
I feel it necessary to point out that Thomas Rhodes (1789–1868), engineer to the Shannon Commissioners, whose name is on a plaque on Athlone bridge, was not a brother of Cecil Rhodes. Thomas was born near Bradford, the son of a carpenter called James Rhodes; Cecil was born in Bishop’s Stortford, the son of a clergyperson.
Posted in Ashore, Built heritage, Charles Wye Williams, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Industrial heritage, Ireland, Operations, People, Restoration and rebuilding, Shannon, Sources, Steamers, waterways
Tagged Athlone, bridge, Cecil Rhodes, Ireland, Shannon, Thomas Rhodes, waterways
Irish waterways history