If you own the yacht Belle, which is at Barley Harbour on Lough Ree, you may wish to visit it. Its wooden doors are missing and there is what I think is a mink on board. I’m afraid I don’t know the owner and don’t know how to contact her or him.
Belle by night
Doors missing
Mink 1
Mink 2
Posted in Ashore, Extant waterways, Ireland, Irish inland waterways vessels, Natural heritage, People, Shannon, Uncategorized, Water sports activities, waterways
Tagged Barley Harbour, Belle, boats, Ireland, Lough Ree, mink, Shannon
Here’s a report from Hawthorn about Shannon water levels; here is a press statement from a political chap on the matter [PDF]; here is a post showing quite how important agriculture is to the Irish economy.
In brief: it isn’t. As Constantin Gurdgiev says:
[…] Irish agriculture is an extension of the welfare state, in so far as most of the value added in it is provided for by the subsidies.
Given that the sector as a whole includes the relatively small number of productive farms, the value of marginal farms may well be negative. Those occupying such land should be encouraged to abandon it and to take up some more productive activity elsewhere; Mongolia seems like a good bet. Activities designed to help the landlords to continue to pretend to be engaged in an economic activity are a waste of resources.
Posted in Ashore, Built heritage, Charles Wye Williams, Drainage, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Industrial heritage, Ireland, Irish inland waterways vessels, Operations, Politics, Safety, Shannon, Sources, The cattle trade, Tourism, Water sports activities, waterways, Waterways management, Weather
Tagged Athlone, bloody farmers, boats, IFA, Ireland, landowners, Lough Ree, Shannon, vessels, waterways, Waterways Ireland
Michael Gill, who owned Argent Brach until 1981, has kindly given me three photos of the boat which he took at Hodson Bay in 2004. The boat has now been reborn as Derrvea; there are photos of her on this page and I have added Michael’s photos just beneath. However, to save you the effort of searching, I reproduce them here.
Argent Brach at Hodson Bay 2004 1 (Michael Gill)
Argent Brach at Hodson Bay 2004 2 (Michael Gill)
Argent Brach at Hodson Bay 2004 3 (Michael Gill)
Thanks to Giles Byford for some photos of the RNLI Lough Ree lifeboat, now on this page.
The number of Shannon-side operations holding Marked Fuel Traders’ Licences [XLS] has doubled since last week: Ciaran Fallon of Rooskey is joined by Quigley’s Marina at Killinure. Congratulations to Brian Quigley.
So there are now two licence-holders on the Shannon. Still no sign of IBRA members (save that Quigleys supplies Waveline) but no doubt they will appear soon.
E&OE: the list now covers 170 pages and I may have missed someone. If so, sorry; let me know and I’ll post the information.
Posted in Economic activities, Extant waterways, Ireland, Irish inland waterways vessels, Operations, Politics, Shannon, Sources, Tourism, Water sports activities, waterways, Waterways management
Tagged boats, Ciaran Fallon, green diesel, Ireland, Killinure, Lough Ree, marked fuel trader's licence, Quigleys, Rooskey, Roosky, Shannon, vessels, waterways
Here is a page showing eight of the drawings made by Commander Wolfe RN and Lieutenant Beechey RN while surveying Lough Ree in 1837.
Posted in Built heritage, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Industrial heritage, Ireland, Operations, People, Scenery, waterways, Waterways management
Tagged 1837, Admiralty, Beechey, boats, chart, Ireland, Lough Ree, Operations, Shannon, survey, waterways, Wolfe
Unlike Loughs Derg, Erne and Neagh, Lough Ree does not have a Coast Guard approved declared-resource rescue service, although Athlone Sub Aqua Club, Waveline/Quigley’s and no doubt others have provided help to boats in trouble. Now, it seems, Damien Delaney is hoping to set up a formal, approved service, according to the Wesstmeath Examiner.
Posted in Extant waterways, Operations, People, Tourism, Water sports activities, Waterways management
Tagged Athlone, boats, Coast Guard, coastguard, Erne, Ireland, IWAI, Lough Derg, Lough Neagh, Lough Ree, Operations, rescue, Shannon, vessels, waterways
The Westmeath Independent reports on the opening of a new service block at Coosan Point:
Meanwhile, in Athlone, with a delicious irony that couldn’t have been lost on those in attendance, just as Ireland Inc was going down the toilet – the council in Westmeath was opening, yes, you guessed it, toilets!
At a low-key ribbon cutting ceremony, which suffered from unfortunate timing, and which was accompanied by more than a touch of farce, Waterways Ireland staff and Westmeath County Council management congregated on Monday last to officially open a new upgraded service block of toilets and showers at the Coosan Point amenity area.
Unfortunately the report does not say what the “touch of farce” was. Information welcome.
Irish waterways history 