Tag Archives: Royal Canal

Raising the Royal

Posted on Wednesday 3 April 2013 | Leave a comment

Ewan Duffy of IndustrialHeritageIreland and I have both, in recent times, uncovered new information about the history of the Royal Canal after it was taken over by the Midland Great Western Railway in 1845: a period that, because (I think) of the absence of company archives, is not well covered in published histories of the Royal.

Ewan has now published a splendid piece of research showing that the Dublin end of the Royal Canal, from Newcomen Bridge (Lock 1) to Cross Guns Bridge (Lock 5), was extensively rebuilt during the second half of the nineteenth century. This is, as far as I know, entirely new information. It gains further interest from the interaction between different concerns — canal, railway, tramway, drainage — all contending for the same small space in Dublin.

I have no doubt that there is yet more to be discovered about the Royal’s lost century.

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Posted in Ashore, Built heritage, Drainage, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Industrial heritage, Ireland, Irish inland waterways vessels, Non-waterway, Operations, People, Politics, Rail, Restoration and rebuilding, Sources, The cattle trade, waterways, Waterways management

Tagged barge, Binns, boats, bridge, canal, Cross Guns, Dublin, Ireland, lock, Midland Great Western Railway, Newcomen, Operations, Royal Canal, waterways

The Charles Wye Williams bridge campaign

Posted on Friday 22 March 2013 | 1 comment

Dublin City Council has published its call for proposals for naming the new bridge across the Liffey. According to RTE, various bolshies and literary types have been suggested, as though we didn’t have enough of them (and of politicians too). Accordingly, I have submitted an application suggesting that the bridge be named after a successful entrepreneur who understood technology and created employment: Charles Wye Williams, the Father of the Shannon, whose fleet of nine steamers and fifty-two barges gave us the Shannon as we know it today.

I will be happy to send a copy (PDF) of my application to anyone who is willing to support it.

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Posted in Ashore, Built heritage, Charles Wye Williams, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Industrial heritage, Ireland, Irish inland waterways vessels, Operations, People, Politics, Rail, Restoration and rebuilding, Shannon, shannon estuary, Sources, Steamers, The cattle trade, waterways, Waterways management

Tagged barge, boats, bridge, canal, Charles Wye Williams, City of Dublin Steam Packet Company, Clare, Dublin, Dublin City Council, estuary, Grand Canal, Haawkins Street, Ireland, Killaloe, Kilrush, Limerick, lock, Lough Derg, Marlborough Street, O'Briensbridge, Operations, Royal Canal, Shannon, steamer, Tipperary, turf, vessels, waterways

Lock sizes on the Shannon Navigation

Posted on Wednesday 20 March 2013 | Leave a comment

Some figures.

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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

Buying diesel

Posted on Tuesday 19 March 2013 | Leave a comment

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):

CarrickCraft, Carrick-on-Shannon
Emerald Star, Carrick-on-Shannon
Rooskey Craft & Tackle, Rooskey Quay
Hanley’s Marina, Ballyleague (opposite Lanesborough)
Quigley’s Marina, Killinure, Lough Ree
CarrickCraft, Banagher
Emerald Star, Portumna.

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.

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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

The last round-up

Posted on Monday 4 March 2013 | Leave a comment

A press release from Waterways Ireland says:

Since November 2012 Waterways Ireland has offered Boaters on the Grand Canal, Barrow Navigation and Royal Canal a new Extended Mooring Permit which enables the boat to remain in a single location for more than five days. Extended Mooring Locations have been offered at two week intervals until the 4^th March when the final 2013 locations will open. In total, 68 Extended Mooring Locations will have been offered across urban and rural locations on the three waterways. Each location has multiple moorings available; more than ample space for every boat currently on the system should all wish to apply. More locations are being prepared should demand increase.

Applications for the last set of locations begin on March 4^th 2013. On the Barrow extended mooring locations will open at Moneybeg, Co Carlow and Lowtown, Co Kildare and on the Grand Canal at Derrymullen, Ticknevin and Allenwood Middle also in Co Kildare.

There follows the usual material about enforcement, which can be read here.

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Posted in Ashore, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Ireland, Irish inland waterways vessels, Operations, People, Sources, Tourism, Water sports activities, waterways, Waterways management

Tagged Barrow, boats, byelaws, canal, CMP, enforcement, Grand Canal, Ireland, Operations, permit, Royal Canal, vessels, waterways, Waterways Ireland

CWW bridge

Posted on Monday 4 March 2013 | Leave a comment

Paul Quinn’s photos showed the new Marlborough Street Bridge being constructed across the Liffey. Last Saturday’s Irish Times reported that Dublin City Council would soon be advertising to seek suggestions for naming the bridge; it said that a body called Labour Youth [whose members may be socialists, I fear] wanted it named after one Rosie Hackett, who went on strike many years ago. It did not report that there is another campaign to have the bridge named after E T S Walton, a physicist.

The north-eastern corner of the bridge features the site of the offices of the City of Dublin Steam Packet Company, whose crest still adorns the walls. I suggest that the bridge be named after the company’s founder, the remarkable Irish entrepreneur Charles Wye Williams: the father of the Shannon, the master of scheduled steam shipping, the founder of the CoDSPCo and a founder director of the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company, godparent of the Irish livestock industry, innovator in marine safety, promoter of the turf industry, writer and experimenter on steam technology, tireless campaigner ….

Apart from his company’s crest on Eden Quay, and his name on a bridge he caused to be built in Limerick, there is no monument to this remarkable man. Name the bridge after him and move the plaque to it (and protect it adequately).

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Posted in Ashore, Charles Wye Williams, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Industrial heritage, Ireland, Irish inland waterways vessels, Operations, People, Shannon, shannon estuary, Sources, Steamers, The cattle trade, Tourism, waterways, Waterways management

Tagged boats, bridge, Charles Wye Williams, City of Dublin Steam Packet Company, Dublin, Eden Quay, estuary, Fergus, Grand Canal, Ireland, Killaloe, Kilrush, Liffey, Limerick, Lough Derg, Marlborough Street, Operations, P&O Line, quay, Royal Canal, Shannon, steamer, vessels, waterways

Working on the Royal

Posted on Wednesday 27 February 2013 | Leave a comment

Waterways Ireland has temporary seasonal jobs for general operatives based at Thomastown.

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Posted in Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Ireland, Operations, People, waterways, Waterways management

Tagged canal, Ireland, job, Killucan, lock, Royal Canal, Thomastown, waterways, Waterways Ireland

Revising the Royal

Posted on Friday 22 February 2013 | 1 comment

Ewan Duffy of IndustrialHeritageIreland and I have both, in recent times, uncovered new information about the history of the Royal Canal after it was taken over by the Midland Great Western Railway in 1845: a period that, because (I think) of the absence of company archives, is not well covered in published histories of the Royal. Ewan today said that he will be posting new material about the stretch from Lock 1 to Lock 5 on 30 March 2013, so watch that space.

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Posted in Ashore, Built heritage, Charles Wye Williams, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Industrial heritage, Ireland, Non-waterway, Operations, Rail, Restoration and rebuilding, Steamers, waterways, Waterways management

Tagged boats, bridge, canal, Dublin, Ewan Duffy, industrial heritage ireland, Ireland, lock, MGWR, railway, Royal Canal

Be very afraid ….

Posted on Tuesday 19 February 2013 | 2 comments

Just in from Waterways Ireland.

Waterways Ireland to Begin Enforcement of Mooring Bye-laws on Grand & Royal Canal and Barrow Navigation

Waterways Ireland will begin enforcement of the mooring Bye-Laws on the Barrow Navigation, Grand Canal and Royal Canal on the 19^th March 2013. A Marine Notice will be issued on the 19^th March to this effect.

The enforcement process will begin with non-permitted, sunken and abandoned boats already on the system. The first step in the process is notification. Continued non-compliance with the Bye-laws may result in the craft being removed from the navigation and stored at the owners cost.

A one year permit for passage and 5 day mooring costs €126. A year-long mooring permit for a single location costs €152. For boats already on the canal system, both permits must be applied for in advance of the 19th March 2013 and be on display on the boat by the 31^st March 2013.

New boats visiting the Grand Canal, Royal Canal or Barrow Navigation for longer than 1 month may apply for the CMP in advance of arrival on the system and must apply for the Extended Mooring Permit as soon as they plan to remain for longer than five days in a single location.

The application process is simple using a form that can be downloaded from www.waterwaysireland.org or sent out by post from Waterways Ireland Tullamore (Tel no 057 9352300).

Waterways Ireland has extended the number of Authorised Officers, who under the Bye-laws have the authority to undertake enforcement.

More information is available from Shane Anderson, Assistant Inspector of Navigation: Tel no +353 (0)87 286 5726, Email shane.anderson@waterwaysireland.org .

2 Comments

Posted in Ashore, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Ireland, Irish inland waterways vessels, Operations, People, Sources, waterways, Waterways management

Tagged authorised officer, Barrow, boats, canal, CMP, EMP, enforcement, Grand Canal, Ireland, Operations, permit, Royal Canal, Shane Anderson, vessels, waterways, Waterways Ireland

Sarah Kelly and the Royal Canal

Posted on Tuesday 5 February 2013 | 2 comments

Quite the most remarkable story I’ve come across about the Royal Canal and the Midland Great Western Railway ….

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Posted in Built heritage, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Ireland, Non-waterway, Operations, People, Politics, Rail, Sources, waterways

Tagged canal, Ireland, Midland Great Western Railway, mortgage, Royal Canal, Sarah Kelly, waterways, whore

Tag Archives: Royal Canal

Raising the Royal

The Charles Wye Williams bridge campaign

Lock sizes on the Shannon Navigation

Buying diesel

The last round-up

CWW bridge

Working on the Royal

Revising the Royal

Be very afraid ….

Waterways Ireland to Begin Enforcement of Mooring Bye-laws on Grand & Royal Canal and Barrow Navigation

Sarah Kelly and the Royal Canal

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