Why, when speaking of the branded product Plasticine, did [do?] Irish teachers insist on using the Irish word marla? Even that word was, according to Terry Dolan’s Dictionary of Hiberno-English [Gill & Macmillan, Dublin 2004; new ed forthcoming], derived from the English marl.
At least in the nineteenth century, marl was a valuable manure or fertiliser and, on Lough Derg, Mr Head of the Derry Estate introduced a system of dredging it from deep water. Read about it here.
Posted in Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Industrial heritage, Ireland, Irish inland waterways vessels, Operations, People, Scenery, Shannon, Sources, Steamers, The cattle trade, waterways
Tagged "marl dock", boats, broadford, Clare, Derry Castle, Derry estate, dredging, Dublin Society, fertiliser, Hely Dutton, Ireland, Killaloe, Lough Derg, manure, marl, Mr Head, Operations, Scarriff, Shannon, shelly, Spaight, Tipperary, vessels, waterways, workboat
Thanks to Liam Kelly for these photos of the retired WI maintenance vessel Fox celebrating her 75th birthday in dry dock at Roosky recently.
-0-
-0-
-0-
I have a page about the Shannon eel fishery here.
In April 2012 Frank Feighan TD asked many Dáil questions about the Shannon eel fishery; the answers provide a useful update to (and expansion of) the information on my page.
Posted in Ashore, Built heritage, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Industrial heritage, Ireland, Irish waterways general, Natural heritage, Operations, People, Politics, Shannon, shannon estuary, Sources, The fishing trade, waterways, Waterways management
Tagged bridge, canal, Clare, department of arts heritage and the gaeltacht, eels, ESB, estuary, Frank Feighan, Ireland, Killaloe, Lough Derg, Lough Neagh, Operations, Pat Rabbitte, Shannon, waterways, weir, workboat
Had I been able to erect a fence across the pier at Mountshannon recently, I might have made money by charging a fee to the many folk who walked down to look at the Shannon Princess II. When I told one chap that it was a hotel barge, he asked if he could go there for lunch. I tried to explain, but this notice from TravelWorld may explain it better.
Admittedly the headline is a bit misleading: when I saw it first I thought that the guests were to dress as artisans, whereas in fact the theme is artisan food, which means food made by members of the middle classes for sale to other members thereof. Put it this way: you might not invite the staff of your local Aldi to your garden parties but you would be quite happy to have your artisan food suppliers there. Not that I’ve anything against “artisan” food per se (indeed I buy lots of it); I just dislike the name.
More on the Shannon Princess here and here. When I win the lottery ….
Some of the variety of boats seen at Mountshannon on 4 June 2012.
0-0-0-0
0-0-0-0
0-0-0-0
0-0-0-0
0-0-0-0
0-0-0-0
0-0-0-0
0-0-0-0
0-0-0-0
0-0-0-0
0-0-0-0
0-0-0-0
0-0-0-0
0-0-0-0
0-0-0-0
0-0-0-0
0-0-0-0
0-0-0-0
Posted in Extant waterways, Ireland, Irish inland waterways vessels, People, Scenery, Shannon, Tourism, Water sports activities, waterways, Weather
Tagged angling, boats, canoe, cruiser, kayak, ketch, lakeboat, Lough Derg, Mountshannon, outboard, Romilly, rowing, Shannon, Shannon Princess, vessels, waterways, workboat
Inspector’s Launch Inishee leaving Shannon Sailing, Dromineer, in May 2012
Waterways Ireland has several temporary or seasonal jobs on offer. In NI, it wants a Temporary Seasonal Waterway Patroller for Lock 1 (Corraquill) on the SEW, closing date 28 May 2012, and a Temporary Seasonal Assistant Boat Person (Part Time) for the Erne, closing date also 28 May 2012.
Southron folk, though, get an extra two days to apply for jobs: a Temporary Seasonal Assistant Boat Person (Part Time) in Athlone, and Temporary Seasonal Assistant Lock Keepers for all Shannon locks north of Lough Derg.
Posted in Ashore, Economic activities, Extant waterways, Ireland, Operations, People, Shannon, Waterways management
Tagged boats, canal, Erne, Ireland, lock, Operations, Shannon, Shannon-Erne Waterway, Waterways Ireland, workboat
Went out without the camera today, alas, and found Waterways Ireland crews at work at the canal harbour in Limerick. One crew had launched a Pioner Multi (I didn’t see them do it, alas, but it may have come on the back of a truck with a HIAB or suchlike) and were hauling rubbish out of the water. Another were welding new railings to prevent access to the old hotel/canal manager’s house and installing a steel plate in a window aperture on one of the Shannon Navigation buildings.
I presume the new plate will soon be decorated. I rather like the artwork, I must say, and I think it a pity that Young Folk should not have somewhere to go to do the things that Young Folk like to do.
Posted in Ashore, Built heritage, Charles Wye Williams, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Forgotten navigations, Industrial heritage, Ireland, Non-waterway, Operations, Scenery, Shannon, waterways, Waterways management
Tagged harbour, Limerick, lock, Operations, Park Canal, Shannon, Waterways Ireland, workboat
Irish waterways history 