Waterways Ireland advises masters and owners of vessels on the Grand Canal that essential repair works will be taking place at Lock 22 at Cappyroe Bridge in Co Offaly until this Friday 6 October.

Due to these works, navigation will not be possible through the area during this time, the cross-border body for Ireland’s inland waterways says.

Waterways Ireland advises all masters and owners of vessels on the Grand Canal that Offaly Rowing Club will be holding time trials between Locks 23 and 24 this Saturday 30 September.

The event will take place between 8am and 4pm. The cross-border body for Ireland’s inland waterways asks users of the navigation and adjacent greenway to follow the directions given by the event marshals on the day.

Waterways Ireland advises all masters of vessels on and users of the Grand Canal that as part of the Green WIN project (more HERE), new deep well and flow devices are to be installed at Locks 35 and 36 at Shannon Harbour.

These works are due to begin Monday 25 September and will continue for around eight weeks, until mid-to-late November.

The works are land-based and navigation through the locks will not be affected, the cross-border body for Ireland’s inland waterways adds.

Waterways Ireland advises all masters of vessels on and users of the Grand Canal that it will be carrying out maintenance works on a damaged section of the north quay wall in Shannon Harbour.

Works will begin on Monday 25 September and will last around seven weeks until mid November, from 9am to 5pm each day.

A section of the harbour wall will be closed off to boat users during this time.

The access road to the north of Shannon Harbour will also be closed to public traffic and only local traffic will be permitted access.

Water levels in Shannon Harbour may have to be lowered for a time to allow these works to be completed, the cross-border body for Ireland’s inland waterways adds.

Waterways Ireland advises all masters of vessels and waterways users that the Grand Canal’s Circular Line in Dublin (Lock C1 through to Lock C7) is now reopened.

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, the Circular Line had been closed to navigation due to fallen trees across the canal in the aftermath of Storm Betty in mid August.

Waterways Ireland advises all masters of vessels on and users of the Grand Canal that it will be carrying out underwater structural inspections of the north and south quay walls in Shannon Harbour this coming week.

Divers will be in the water between Griffith Bridge and the 35th Lock on Wednesday 20 and Thursday 21 September (rescheduled from Monday 18 and Tuesday 19 September) between 9am and 5pm each day. An Alpha Flag (Divers Flag) will be flown to indicate the divers’ presence.

Waterways Ireland says it will be required to move vessels for the inspection and will return boats to their original positions when completed.

Boat owners are advised to check mooring lines of their boats after the work is completed, the cross-border body for Ireland’s inland waterways adds.

Waterways Ireland advises masters of all craft on the Grand Canal that the lifting bridge at Monasterevin on the Barrow Line will be closed for canal traffic on Thursday 24 August only to facilitate emergency road repairs. The bridge will return to normal operations on Friday 25 August.

Waterways Ireland advises all masters of vessels and waterways users that the Grand Canal’s Circular Line in Dublin (Lock C1 through to Lock C7) is currently closed to navigation due to fallen trees across the canal in the aftermath of Storm Betty at the weekend.

The cross-border body for Ireland’s inland waterways did not provide a timeframe for the line’s reopening but said it “apologies for any inconvenience caused”.

Waterways Ireland advises masters of vessels on and users of the Grand Canal in Co Tipperary that the waterway will be closed from Campbell’s Bridge in Ballycommon adjacent to Lock 21 as far as Lock 22 for a short period before and after noon on Tuesday 25 July.

This temporary closure is to facilitate the removal of the RTÉ mast at Ballycommon. The towpath and navigation will be closed from 10.30am to 1pm and there will be an exclusion zone around the work site, the cross-border body for Ireland’s inland waterways adds.

The iconic Four Pots structure located alongside the Grand Canal towpath between the Leinster Aqueduct and Digby Bridge in Co Kildare has been restored to its former glory thanks to an initiative involving Waterways Ireland and the Historic Structures Fund, which is administered by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

Built originally as an overflow, the Four Pots is the only remaining structure of its kind on the Island of Ireland and was constructed to facilitate the building of the Leinster Aqueduct, which was completed in 1783. Its purpose was to maintain canal water levels to facilitate the movement of vessels and discharge surplus water to a stream beyond the canal bank. Unfortunately, no records regarding the design, construction, or operation of the Four Pots remain, but research undertaken on related features and analysis of the site itself has allowed the system to be better understood, despite having not been used for its intended purpose for centuries.

The Four Pots structure prior to restoration

The project was an initiative of the Waterways Ireland Heritage Plan, which matched grant funding of €50,000 from the Historic Structures Fund (HSF). The HSF is a built heritage funding scheme administered by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage which works in partnership with property owners and the 31 local authorities to protect our built heritage by providing grant assistance to a wide range of heritage structures, including castles, churches, mills, and bridges.

Work first began on the recently completed project in late 2022 with conservation architects, ABGC and 7L Architects, and contractor, Oldstone Conservation Ltd.

Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan said: "It is wonderful to see the successful completion of this unique restoration project thanks to the help of the Historic Structures Fund in conjunction with the Waterways Ireland Heritage Plan. The Four Pots is a truly unique structure with a fascinating history dating all the way back to the eighteenth century. A marvel of engineering in its day, it's a hidden gem that serves as a perfect example of the rich built heritage that often surrounds us in our everyday lives and must be protected for future generations to enjoy."

John McDonagh, Chief Executive of Waterways Ireland: "We are delighted to continue our investment in our shared inland waterways heritage. The restoration works at the Four Pots on the Grand Canal, a unique structure on the inland of Ireland, was made possible through collaboration with the Historic Structures Fund as well as match-funding through our Heritage Plan. As custodians, we are passionate about the protection and promotion of heritage, ensuring it can be enjoyed by our stakeholders as well as generations of future waterway users."