Tag Archives: waterways

The Scotch Quay crane

Posted on Monday 20 October 2014 | 4 comments

Here is a page about the crane on Scotch Quay, on St John’s Pill in Waterrford. I would welcome information on the age of the crane, on who made it and on how it works.

4 Comments

Posted in Ashore, Built heritage, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Forgotten navigations, Industrial heritage, Ireland, Operations, Restoration and rebuilding, Suir, waterways

Tagged crane, George's Quay, Ireland, quay, Scotch Quay, St John's Pill, Suir, Waterford, waterways

St John’s Pill: an update

Posted on Thursday 16 October 2014 | Leave a comment

I have found a little more information about the involvement of George Lane Fox with the upper reaches of St John’s Pill; I have written about it here.

Heather Humphreys on waterways

Posted on Thursday 16 October 2014 | 3 comments

From the Financial Resolutions speeches:

I am committed to developing North-South co-operation within the broader arts, heritage and commemorative activities of my Department as well as through the funding of North-South bodies. A provision of more than €38 million is made available to support the two North-South implementation bodies — An Foras Teanga and Waterways Ireland. These budgets will be subject to the approval of the North South Ministerial Council in due course. The provision will enable Waterways Ireland to keep the waterways open for navigation during the main boating season and promote increased use for recreational purposes while developing and promoting our waterways to attract increased numbers of overseas visitors.

Nothing new there, I think, but note the repetition of a point I highlighted last year:

The provision will enable Waterways Ireland to keep the waterways open for navigation during the main boating season […].

3 Comments

Posted in Ashore, Built heritage, Canals, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Foreign parts, Industrial heritage, Ireland, Irish inland waterways vessels, Irish waterways general, Operations, People, Politics, Shannon, Sources, waterways, Waterways management

Tagged boats, budget, canal, department of arts heritage and the gaeltacht, financial resolution, Heather Humphreys, Ireland, Operations, Shannon, waterways, Waterways Ireland

Budget 2015

Posted on Tuesday 14 October 2014 | 2 comments

End of austerity?

Waterways Ireland’s southern money [85% of its current budget plus the full cost of capital work undertaken in the republic plus, according to this unicorn who has just dropped in, the full cost of the Clones Sheugh] comes from the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht under the heading of North-South Co-operation. The figures are subject to the approval of the North-South Ministerial Council.

Waterways Ireland accounts for the largest portion of the North-South Co-operation funding but the budget documents [PDF] don’t show the breakdown between WI and the languages body.

The 2014 estimate for current expenditure on NSCoop was €35,271,000; the 2015 figure is €34,870,000.

The 2014 estimate for capital expenditure (all but €119,000 for Waterways Ireland according to page 213) was €3,977,000; the 2015 figure is €3,487,000. Rather neatly, that’s 10% of the current expenditure figure. In 2008 WI got €11,000,000.

The total is 2% down on 2014.

The aim of the NSCoop programme

The aim of this Programme is to maintain, develop and foster North-South co-operation in the context of the implementation of the Good Friday Agreement and the St. Andrews’ Agreement.

Under this Programme, the allocation for 2015 will:

Through Foras na Gaeilge and the Ulster-Scots Agency, promote the Irish and UlsterScots language and culture; and
Through Waterways Ireland, maintain the waterways for some 15,000 registered boat users.

I noted last year that the department’s high-level programme activities were to include:

Development of inland waterways within the context of the implementation of the Good Friday and St Andrews Agreements.

I deduce, therefore, that development of inland waterways has been abandoned; the [more sensible] aim is now that of maintenance. Furthermore, I note that there is no mention of tourism or of non-boating waterways uses like those lauded by the minister the other day.

Capital “investment”

According to Table 1 Multi-Annual Capital Investment Framework 2015-2017 on page 211, Exchequer Capital Funding to the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht is to fall from €62 million in 2015 to €36 million in each of 2016 and 2017. The 2015 capital estimates are:

A – ARTS, CULTURE AND FILM €42,460,000
B – HERITAGE €6,916,000
C – IRISH LANGUAGE, GAELTACHT AND ISLANDS €8,717,000
D – NORTH-SOUTH CO-OPERATION €3,487,000

The allocations to the last three groups are small, so it looks as if the luvvies will be suffering the cuts. But the level of cuts is rather large; I wonder how that’s going to work.

A win for the luvvies

The departmental overview begins on page 45. On page It shows that Total Gross Voted Current Expenditure is to stay constant at €212 million in 2015, 2016 and 2017. Below that we read:

The multi-annual expenditure ceilings are binding and it will fall to the Department of Arts,Heritage and the Gaeltacht to deliver services within these agreed allocations for the period 2015-17. This includes responding to emerging expenditure pressures over that period without recourse to additional Exchequer allocations. To do so will involve commitment to ongoing reform and efficiency measures and reprioritisation of expenditure as appropriate.

And on page 46:

This funding will enable a significant level of services to be delivered in 2015. The funding provided reflects the Government’s commitment to the conservation, preservation, protection, development and presentation of Ireland’s heritage and culture and the promotion of the Irish language, support of the Gaeltacht and development of island communities.

No mention of waterways, or even of northsouthery, in that lot.

On page 47 we learn:

The 2015 current expenditure ceiling of €212m represents an increase of €4m over the REV 2014 allocation and €7m over the previously published expenditure ceiling.

The additional current expenditure funding in 2015 will be utilised to support existing services and fund initiatives to commemorate the foundation of the State.

So the previous talk of continuing savings has vanished; the department’s total budget is up by 4%, just under €10 million. What we are seeing is a reallocation within the department:

A – ARTS, CULTURE AND FILM up 11%
B – HERITAGE down 12%
C – IRISH LANGUAGE, GAELTACHT AND ISLANDS up 1%
D – NORTH-SOUTH CO-OPERATION down 2%,

Why are the luvvies getting the loot?

All of this is from a quick perusal; more later as information emerges, in particular when the minister addresses the Dáil.

2 Comments

Posted in Ashore, Built heritage, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Foreign parts, Forgotten navigations, Industrial heritage, Ireland, Irish inland waterways vessels, Natural heritage, Non-waterway, Operations, People, Politics, Restoration and rebuilding, Tourism, Ulster Canal, Water sports activities, waterways, Waterways management

Tagged budget, capital, current, department of arts heritage and the gaeltacht, Operations, waterways, Waterways Ireland

Shannon traffic figures to September 2014

Posted on Friday 10 October 2014 | 2 comments

I am grateful to Waterways Ireland for letting me have the Shannon traffic figures for September 2014.

Regular readers may wish to skip this section

All 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 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
figures like these will not necessarily be representative of those for the year as a whole. The winter months, January to March, see little traffic in any year; for April, May and June, the weather can have a large influence on the amount of activity especially, I suspect, in private boats.

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.

All boats

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 boats

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 boats

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

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.

Private -v- hired

Still roughly 50/50

Nothing very encouraging there, alas.

2 Comments

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

Broadstone

Posted on Monday 6 October 2014 | 2 comments

You can visit the building on the weekend of 18 & 19 October 2014 as part of Open House Dublin. And there are other sites of industrial heritage and transport interest that will be open between 17 and 19 October.

2 Comments

Posted in Ashore, Built heritage, Canals, Drainage, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Forgotten navigations, Industrial heritage, Ireland, Non-waterway, Operations, People, Rail, Restoration and rebuilding, Sources, Tourism, waterways, Waterways management

Tagged bridge, Broadstone, canal, Dublin, Grand Canal, Ireland, Midland Great Western Railway, Open House Dublin, Royal Canal, waterways, Waterways Ireland

Uninformative press release aboot thon sheugh

Posted on Sunday 5 October 2014 | 2 comments

Plans to restore the Upper Lough Erne to Clones section of the Ulster Canal are being pursued by the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure and the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht

it says here. The official NSMC version is here. No mention of the inter-agency treasure-seekers; perhaps the swag is in here:

Progress on the development of the new INTERREG V and PEACE IV Programmes for the period 2014 – 2020 was discussed. The Council noted that the draft Programmes had been submitted to the EU commission by the deadline of 22 September 2014.

I see that WI employee payments for pensions are going up:

16. Ministers also acknowledged the ongoing work in relation to reform of the North South Bodies Pension Scheme, including recently approved amendments to ensure the Scheme complies with employment legislation and best practice in both jurisdictions and to increase employee contributions.

Someone with a tin ear (perhaps someone who doesn’t do crosswords) wrote this:

driving a shift to public and more sustainable modes of transport and the potential for shared cross border public transport services in border areas.

Driving would be right, especially in Donegal. But what about parity of esteem?

development of cross border Greenways

Why no Orangeways?

2 Comments

Posted in Built heritage, Canals, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Foreign parts, Forgotten navigations, Industrial heritage, Ireland, Non-waterway, People, Politics, Restoration and rebuilding, Sources, Ulster Canal, waterways

Tagged barge, boats, bridge, canal, Clones, dcal, department of arts heritage and the gaeltacht, department of culture arts and leisure, Erne, Ireland, North South Ministerial Council, Operations, Ulster Canal, waterways, Waterways Ireland

Murder on a Grand Canal Company boat

Posted on Wednesday 24 September 2014 | Leave a comment

At the inquest on the body of Myles Crofton, who was, as alleged, murdered on board one of the Grand Canal Company’s boats on the Limerick Canal, the jury returned the following verdict:— “That the deceased, Myles Crofton, aged 45 years, dies at Killaloe on Sunday, the 29th November, 1891, from certain wounds inflicted on him in boat No 17, plying on the canal, but we find there is not sufficient evidence before us to enable us to say who the guilty person or persons are that inflicted said wounds. We unanimously wish to put before the Grand Canal Company the unhappy position of the wife and large family of the deceased, and to pray the merciful consideration of the company on their behalf.”

Freeman’s Journal 5 December 1891

From the issue of 1 December 1891 we learnt hat, on 30 November 1891, two Grand Canal Company boatmen, and a third man, were charged with the murder. The boat had left Limerick for Killaloe on Saturday 28 November with Crofton, two other crewmen and a fourth person, not a boatman, on board. When it reached Killaloe, Crofton was found to be unconscious “with seven wounds about the head and over both eyes”. The police were called and the dispensary doctor attended but Crofton died next morning “in great agony”. The other three were remanded to Limerick Jail for a week. Crofton left eight children.

On Tuesday 29 December [FJ 30 December 1891] the three men were brought before the magistrates. They were defended by P S Connolly, solicitor. District Inspector M’Donald said that one of the accused had made an important statement but, as he had not yet received instructions from Dublin Castle, he requested an adjournment which, despite Mr Connolly’s opposition, was granted. On the following day [reported in FJ 31 December 1891] the DI said that one of the men, George Farrell, had been released from prison and was prepared to give evidence against Frank Egan.

On being sworn, Farrell deposed he had heard a row in the cabin of the boat between Frank Egan and the deceased, Myles Crofton, and afterwards saw them fighting with their fists. Subsequently he saw Egan strike the deceased with his boot.

Dr John Keogh, who had attended Crofton before he died [was he the dispensary doctor?], said that the wounds were caused by violence, not by accident.

The Belfast News-Letter [1 January 1892] had a slightly different account:

[…] one of the men turned Queen’s Evidence, and confessed that while going down [sic] the Shannon a comrade named Miles [sic] Crofton was repeatedly assaulted while all the party were drinking.

Egan was committed for trial; Farrell had already been released and now the third, Nutterfield [Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer 1 January 1892] or Netherfield [Hampshire Telegraph and Oxford Journal, both 2 January 1892], was also released.

I have not been able to find anything about Egan’s trial, if there was one, or subsequent fate.

The value of art …

Posted on Thursday 18 September 2014 | 2 comments

… is the evidence it provides about boats and inland waterways.

Here is an unreliable link to a painting called Grand Canal Harbour [click on the image to enlarge it] by Flora Mitchell. If the link doesn’t work, use this, which seems to be less flaky, and enter the two words canal and mitchell in the Quick Search box; you should get two thumbnails of canal paintings by Flora Mitchell.

[updated 20140922]

2 Comments

Posted in Ashore, Built heritage, Canals, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Forgotten navigations, Industrial heritage, Ireland, Irish inland waterways vessels, Operations, Sources, waterways

Tagged art, barge, boats, canal, Dublin, Flora Mitchell, Grand Canal, Grand Canal harbour, Ireland, James's Street, Operations, waterways

Shannon traffic figures to August 2014

Posted on Tuesday 16 September 2014 | 2 comments

I am grateful to Waterways Ireland for letting me have the Shannon traffic figures for August 2014.