I have not posted charts of Shannon traffic figures for some months now. That was not Waterways Ireland’s fault: it has kindly continued to send the figures to me, but other demands on my time have intervened. However, I have now charted the figures to the end of October 2015, which takes in the bulk of the year’s boating activity. All the usual caveats apply:
On the other hand, the figures do include the Shannon’s most significant tourism activity, the cruiser hire business. And they are our only consistent long-term indicator of usage of the inland waterways.
There has been a very slight increase in total traffic, although it might be better to regard the figures as confirming that traffic has stabilised at the new, lower level established around 2011.
All boats. The slight increase in total traffic seen up to May has continued to October
I commented on the May figures:
The big news is that there is an increase in the amount of hire-boat traffic and a decrease in the amount of private traffic. [Personal observation suggests very little activity on Lough Derg, apart from the sailing bods.]
Again, that trend has continued. Hire-boat traffic is up …
Hire-boat traffic is up
… and private-boat traffic is down.
Private-boat traffic is down
Perhaps the private boats were afraid to move from the new berths in Killaloe where they wanted to spend the winter at Waterways Ireland’s ridiculously low rates. Is this some delayed effect of the death of the Celtic tiger? Or was it the weather? Neither hire nor private figures changed hugely, but change they nonetheless did.
After a brief period when it seemed that private traffic was overtaking hired, the hire-boats are in the lead again
Of course hire-boat traffic fell much further from its 2003 figure: it dropped to 40% and is still not much higher, whereas private traffic is still more than 80% of its 2003 figure.
Change (private and hired) since 2003
It would be nice to have data on other forms of waterways usage.
I am grateful to Waterways Ireland for letting me have the Shannon traffic figures for the first five months of 2015. All the usual caveats apply:
On the other hand, the figures do include the Shannon’s most significant tourism activity, the cruiser hire business. And they are our only consistent long-term indicator of usage of the inland waterways.
The big news is that there is an increase in the amount of hire-boat traffic and a decrease in the amount of private traffic. [Personal observation suggests very little activity on Lough Derg, apart from the sailing bods.]
All boats. Note the slight increase in total traffic — or is it a dead-cat bounce?
The increase comes from hire-boat traffic …
… as private-boat traffic is down on last year
Nonetheless, hire-boat traffic is still close to 40% of what it was in 2003, with no sign of a major recovery
But, at least for April and May, hire boats are the major users of the Shannon
In January, 18 boat passages were recorded, 9 of them at Portumna Bridge. There were 20 passages in February and 362 in March. Is there any point in keeping the Shannon open throughout the winter?
In the first five months, 11 boats used Sarsfield Lock, the sea-lock in Limerick. There were 88 passages through Pollboy Lock on the River Suck. On the Lough Allen Canal, 96 boats went through Battlebridge Lock, 95 through Drumleague and only 38 through Drumshanbo. These branches can’t be paying their way.
Posted in Canals, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Ireland, Irish inland waterways vessels, Modern matters, Operations, Restoration and rebuilding, Shannon, shannon estuary, Sources, Tourism, Water sports activities, waterways, Waterways management
Tagged Ballinasloe, Battlebridge, bridge, Drumleague, Drumshanbo, hire boats, Limerick, lock, Pollboy, Portumna, private boats, Sarsfield Lock, Shannon, traffic
I am grateful to Waterways Ireland for letting me have the Shannon traffic figures for September 2014.
All the usual caveats apply:
On the other hand, the figures do include the Shannon’s most significant tourism activity, the cruiser hire business. And they are our only consistent long-term indicator of usage of the inland waterways.
Total (private + hired) traffic for the first nine months of each year
Not a lot to say: slightly down on last year, but the numbers for the last three years have been fairly even.
Private-boat traffic for the first nine months of each year
Note that the vertical scale is truncated, which exaggerates the scale of the changed. The good weather, especially in July and September, doesn’t seem to have resulted in a continuation of last year’s improvement.
Hire-boat traffic for the first nine months of each year
Not much change from last year, but it’s the lowest nine-month figure in my records.
Percentages of 2003 levels
The nine-month figure for private boats is the second-lowest in my records (2012 was lowest) despite the good weather. The hire-boat figure is the lowest in my records, but the pace of decline seems to have levelled off.
Still roughly 50/50
Nothing very encouraging there, alas.
Posted in Economic activities, Extant waterways, Ireland, Irish inland waterways vessels, Operations, Shannon, Sources, Tourism, Water sports activities, waterways, Waterways management, Weather
Tagged bridge, hire boats, Ireland, lock, Operations, passage, private boats, Shannon, traffic, vessels, waterways, Waterways Ireland
I am grateful to Waterways Ireland for letting me have the Shannon traffic figures for August 2014.
All the usual caveats apply:
On the other hand, the figures do include the Shannon’s most significant tourism activity, the cruiser hire business. And they are our only consistent long-term indicator of usage of the inland waterways.
Total (private + hired) traffic for the first eight months of each year
I thought that the good weather in July might have brought more boaters out in August (when the weather was not so good), but it didn’t. This is the lowest eight-month figure in my series; traffic is just under 56% of what it was in 2003.
Private-boat traffic for the first eight months of each year
Nothing much to cheer about there. Traffic was very slightly higher than in 2012.
Maybe lots of people have taken up sailing, and thus been confined to the lakes, instead of cruising. If, gentle reader, you can think of a way of measuring sailing usage, let me know.
Hire-boat traffic for the first eight months of each year
As I said last month, the pace of decline seems to have slowed, but this is still the lowest figure in my series.
Changes since 2003: private and hired boats
The eight-month figures for private traffic are a bit worse than the seven-month, but perhaps September’s extraordinarily good weather will prompt an increase. There is no good news for the hire business, but perhaps the profitability of the remaining operators will be improved.
Still roughly 50/50
What is the Shannon’s USP?
Posted in Canals, Charles Wye Williams, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Ireland, Irish inland waterways vessels, Operations, People, Scenery, Shannon, Sources, Tourism, Water sports activities, waterways, Waterways management, Weather
Tagged barge, boats, bridge, department of arts heritage and the gaeltacht, Ireland, lock, Lough Derg, Operations, passages, Shannon, traffic, waterways, Waterways Ireland
I am grateful to Waterways Ireland for letting me have the Shannon traffic figures for July 2014. All the usual caveats apply:
On the other hand, the figures do include the Shannon’s most significant tourism activity, the cruiser hire business. And they are our only consistent long-term indicator of usage of the inland waterways.
Total (private + hired) traffic for the first seven months of each year
Traffic in 2013 was up a bit on 2012; 2014 is down slightly below the 2012 level. It’s the lowest seven-month figure in the series (ie since 2003), which is a bit of a surprise: I thought that the good weather would encourage more boating.
The changes are small, so their importance must not be exaggerated, but they’re not cause for celebration. Let’s see whether the drop was amongst private or hired boats (or both).
Private-boat traffic for the first seven months of each year
Private traffic is up a bit on 2012 but down on 2013.
Hire-boat traffic for the first seven months of each year
Hire-boat traffic is down on both previous years, but the pace of decline seems to have slowed.
Changes since 2003: private and hired boats
Hire-boat traffic seems to be levelling off at 40% of its 2003 figure: a massive loss of business. I do not know whether anyone is trying to, or could, recover that amount of business. I am not aware of any new Shannon-based tourism business that could compensate for the losses in the cruising (hire-boat) business, but I would be glad to hear from anyone who knows of such projects. Something with high growth potential is required.
Private traffic is wobbling either side of its 2003 figure: the increases during the Celtic Tiger years have been lost.
Still roughly 50/50
In the year to July 2014, hire-boat traffic was just above private traffic, but there is very little in it. Private traffic is now comparatively more important to Waterways Ireland [which may be why it is now trying to establish its economic importance] but it does not bring in much money from outside the two jurisdictions, so the case for public spending on waterways becomes much weaker.
And, quite clearly, opening more waterways doesn’t work: as this chart showed last month, the branches off the main lines of the Shannon, Erne and SEW are little used. The Lough Allen Canal, the Suck and the navigation to Limerick are very little used and I see no sign that the reopened Royal Canal has attracted many visitors to Ireland. What is needed is more intensive usage of the main waterways, not further dilution by the opening of more branches [to Clones or anywhere else].
High and low usage
Finally, I thought it might be interesting to see whether the monthly pattern of usage has changed since 2003. To avoid an over-cluttered chart, I included only four years: 2003, 2003 +5, 2003 + 10 and 2014. The chart is for all boats, private and hired.
Monthly traffic, selected years
The season seems to have got going earlier in 2003 and even in 2008. Was the weather better in those years?
Posted in Canals, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Foreign parts, Forgotten navigations, Industrial heritage, Ireland, Irish inland waterways vessels, Operations, People, Politics, Restoration and rebuilding, Scenery, Shannon, Sources, Tourism, Ulster Canal, Unbuilt canals, Water sports activities, waterways, Waterways management, Weather
Tagged boats, bridge, canal, Clones, cruising, Erne, hire boats, IBRA, Ireland, Limerick, lock, Lough Allen, Operations, passages, private boats, Royal Canal, Shannon, Shannon-Erne Waterway, Suck, traffic, Ulster Canal, vessels, Waterways Ireland
Barrow Line 1
Barrow Line 2
Barrow Line 3
Barrow Line 4
When I get a moment, I must find out how many boats have been down that way in this warm, sunny July, the peak of the holiday season. The warmth will have encouraged the vegetation, but I suspect relatively few boats have been through. And only two boats entered the Royal through Dublin in July, even though two openings were offered.
Apart from giving artistic verisimilitude to an otherwise bald and unconvincing narrative about the value of the canal tourist industry and the abiding love of boaters for the canal, using canals helps to keep the weed down.
Posted in Built heritage, Canals, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Industrial heritage, Ireland, Irish inland waterways vessels, Natural heritage, Operations, People, Politics, Tourism, waterways, Waterways management, Weather
Tagged barge, Barrow, Barrow Line, boats, bridge, canal, Dublin, Grand Canal, growth, Ireland, Operations, Royal Canal, traffic, waterways, Waterways Ireland, weed
I am grateful to Waterways Ireland for letting me have copies of the recorded numbers of boat passages through Shannon locks and Portumna Bridge for the first five months of 2014. All the usual caveats apply:
On the other hand, the figures do include the Shannon’s most significant tourism activity, the cruiser hire business. And they are our only consistent long-term indicator of usage of the inland waterways.
The total amount of traffic continues to decline.
Private-boat traffic is still below its average for the period but increased slightly on the same period of the previous year [but see the third caveat above].
Hire-boat traffic is just over one third of its 2003 level.
Since 2003, both private and hired traffic have fallen, from the highest figures attained within the period, by about 60% of the 2003 figure. But private traffic first rose by 40% of the 2003 figure, so it is now only about 20% below that figure. Hire traffic has fallen pretty consistently since 2003.
Hire traffic is usually greater than private traffic between April and October (roughly speaking), but the gap is closing.
Carál Ní Chuilín, NI’s [SF] waterways minister, said the other day:
Waterways Ireland delivered a presentation to Ministers entitled ‘Ireland’s Inland Waterways — Building a Tourism Destination’. The presentation provided an overview of the progress that Waterways Ireland is making in placing waterways and the waterway experience at the centre of the tourism offering in Ireland and internationally.
And a good thing too, but the waterways need new water-based tourism products to complement, and perhaps to replace some of, the hire-boat cruising business. Opening new waterways — Royal Canal, Longford Branch, Ulster Canal, Kilbeggan Branch or anything else — is a waste of money until demand, domestic and visitor, private and hired, exceeds existing capacity.
Posted in Built heritage, Canals, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Foreign parts, Ireland, Irish inland waterways vessels, Irish waterways general, Operations, People, Politics, Restoration and rebuilding, Scenery, Shannon, Sources, Tourism, Ulster Canal, Water sports activities, waterways, Waterways management, Weather
Tagged barge, Barrow, boat hire, boats, bridge, canal, Clones, cruiser, department of arts heritage and the gaeltacht, Erne, Grand Canal, hire boat, IBRA, Ireland, lock, Operations, Portumna, private boat, product, Royal Canal, Shannon, tourism, traffic, Ulster Canal, vessels, waterways, Waterways Ireland
Some weeks ago Waterways Ireland kindly supplied me with the Shannon traffic figures for the final three months of 2013 and I have just now had a chance to add them to my spreadsheets and produce some graphs.
The usual caveats apply: the underlying figures do not record total waterways usage (even for the Shannon) as, for instance, sailing, fishing or waterskiing on lakes or river stretches, which did not involve a passage through a lock or Portumna Bridge, would not be recorded. The passage records are our only consistent long-term indicator of usage of the Shannon but they would not show, for instance, a change in the balance of types of activities from those in larger cruising boats to those in smaller (sailing, fishing, waterskiing) boats. On the other hand, they do include the Shannon’s most significant tourism activity, the cruiser hire business.
It is good to note, incidentally, that, in its draft Corporate Plan 2014–2016, Waterways Ireland says that it intends to
Develop and implement a research programme to measure waterway usage and inform planning and development.
It won’t be easy to do, but we need much better measures of all types of activities on all seven of the waterways managed by WI.
The final outcome for 2013 won’t greatly surprise anyone who has read earlier bulletins on this subject, like this covering the figures to end-September 2013. All the illustrations are based on information supplied by Waterways Ireland, with some minor adjustments by me to eliminate anomalies, but the interpretation and comments are mine own.
Total Shannon traffic 2003–2013, private and hired
The decline in traffic since 2003 seems to have been halted …
Total Shannon traffic as a percentage of 2003 traffic
… but it is 40% below what it was in 2003.
Private-boat traffic 2003–2013 as a percentage of 2003 traffic
Traffic in private boats seems to be recovering, but what is perhaps more significant is that it never went more than 10% above or below the 2003 figure. It has been remarkably stable over the period, despite the economic crash and despite the anecdotal evidence of boats being sold to overseas owners and trucked out of the country. Perhaps larger boats were replaced by smaller? Perhaps only boats bought in the boom were sold in the bust? Unfortunately the deficiencies of the registration system make it very difficult to determine what has been happening.
Hire-boat traffic 2003–2013 as a percentage of 2003 traffic
But if private-boat traffic has been remarkably stable since 2003, the same cannot be said of hire-boat traffic. The best that can be said of 2013 is that the figures didn’t get [much] worse, but a 60% decline since 2003 is really, really dreadful.
WI’s draft Corporate Plan, which does not explicitly mention the hire industry, talks of
… unlocking opportunities to achieve recreational growth, and economic and social development.
I don’t know whether that omission means that WI sees little prospect of a rejuvenated hire-boat industry. And I note that, other than in the titles of organisations, the draft plan rarely mentions tourism or tourists. Are the waterways only for natives? If so, is that a deliberate policy decision? Or is there something that could be done, cheaply, to help to revive waterways tourism?
Emma Kennedy, writing in the Sunday Business Post on 23 February 2014, wrote about Fáilte Ireland’s latest brainwave, which is to “target” three groups:
No families with kids, I see, although “Families & Loved Ones” (the latter term, by the way, nowadays seems to mean either dead people or their relicts) were one of the two “primary target customer segments” identified in Fáilte Ireland’s Inland Cruising Market Development Strategy. (Fat lot of good that strategy did, but we mustn’t be bitter.)
Anyway, without having done any market studies (though WI has funded lots of them), it seems to me that there is scope for more tourism on the waterways, but it might not be on traditional cruisers. It might involve outdoor activities like cycling and walking along the canals and Barrow: WI’s plan discusses them, but without adverting to an overseas market. And it might involve small-boat activities — canoeing, touring rowing, small-boat sailing, camping — on Shannon, Erne and SEW: WI says it will support micro-enterprises, and those providing outdoor activity holidays may need expertise and assistance rather than hard cash.
I admit to having little evidence on this, but it seems to me to be too early to give up on the tourism potential of the waterways. And the decline of the cruiser hire business does not necessarily mean that all waterway tourism is doomed.
Private boats overtake hire boats
That said, 2013 was the year when, for the first time since Noah was an Able Seaman, the number of passages by private boats exceeded that by hire boats.
The points at which numbers were recorded
Finally, this chart suggests that any structures that were not built by the Shannon Commissioners in the 1840s will not attract many visitors. The extensions off the main stem of the Shannon — south to Limerick, west to Ballinasloe, east through Clondra, north to Lough Allen — are much less used than the main line from Lough Derg to Lough Key. It seems unlikely that any further extensions, especially to small towns that it would take three hours (at canal speed) to get to, are likely to be any more successful in attracting traffic.
Posted in Built heritage, Canals, Charles Wye Williams, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Foreign parts, Forgotten navigations, Industrial heritage, Ireland, Irish inland waterways vessels, Natural heritage, Operations, Politics, Restoration and rebuilding, Shannon, Sources, Tourism, Ulster Canal, Water sports activities, waterways, Waterways management, Weather
Tagged Albert Lock, Athlone, Ballinasloe. Lough Ree, barge, Barrow, Battlebridge, boats, Boyle Waters, bridge, canal, Clarendon lock, Clondra, Clones, department of arts heritage and the gaeltacht, Drumleague, Drumshanbo, Erne, Fáilte Ireland, Grand Canal, Ireland, Jamestown, Killaloe, Limerick, lock, Lough Allen, Lough Derg, Lough Key, Lough Neagh, Meelick, Operations, Pollboy, Portumna, Rooskey, Roosky, Royal Canal, Sarsfield Lock, Shannon, Shannon-Erne Waterway, strategy, Tarmonbarry, traffic, Ulster Canal, Victoria Lock, waterways, Waterways Ireland
Irish waterways history 