Waterways Ireland advises masters of vessels and users of the Grand Canal that Kildare County Council will begin the first phase of works on the Grand Canal Greenway from Monday 17 October, continuing over the next 12 months.

There will be limited public access to the towpath on the southern side of the Grand Canal from Sallins village to Ponsonby Bridge near Ardclough until 11 October 2023.

Section 1 of the greenway works will take place from Sallins to Devonshire Bridge with the towpath closed until 2 June 2023. Section 2 works will take place from Devonshire Bridge to Ponsonby Bridge with the towpath closed from 19 May to 11 October 2023.

The greenway works includes a footbridge being constructed over the Grand Canal village at the Waterways Ireland-serviced moorings near the primary school in Sallins. The bridge construction works are expected to commence in January 2023 with abutment excavation and construction and then a bridge lift.

Ramps will be constructed for access to the bridge on both sides of the canal. Several mooring spaces at the serviced jetties will be vacated for the duration of the bridge construction works. The bridge works are expected to be completed by May 2023.

All vessels on passage through Sallins from January to May 2023 should proceed with additional caution during the bridge construction works.

Further Marine Notices will be issued in due course to provide updates as the works progress, the cross-border body for Ireland’s inland waterways adds.

Waterways Ireland advises masters of vessels and users of the Grand Canal in east Kildare that maintenance works are being carried out to the railway bridge at Sallins.

Scaffolding will be attached to the bridge and will result in an air draft restriction of 2.5 metres for boats passing under the bridge from Monday 3 October to Friday 4 November. The towpath will operate as normal with no restrictions.

Elsewhere, navigation will be closed through Lock N1 on the Naas Branch of the Grand Canal for three weeks from Monday 3 October on weekdays only.

This is to facilitate repair works to the adjacent Osberstown Bridge parapet, the cross-border body for Ireland’s inland waterways adds.

Waterways Ireland wishes advises masters of all craft on the Barrow Line of the Grand Canal that Monasterevin Lifting Bridge in Co Kildare will be closed for canal traffic this coming Wednesday 17 August.

This closure is due to a scheduled one-day electrical power outage in the Monasterevin area. The bridge will return to normal operations once power is restored, the cross-border body for Ireland’s inland waterways says.

Waterways Ireland advises masters and owners of vessels on the Grand Canal that the jetty serving Lock C6 beside the Charlemont Luas over-bridge in Dublin City centre is closed until further notice in order to effect repairs.

Waterways Ireland advises all users of the Royal Canal, Grand Canal and Barrow Navigation of a number of events scheduled to take place in the coming days and weeks on these inland waterways.

The Grand Canal will see the Shannon Harbour Canal Boat Rally this weekend from Friday 24 to Sunday 26 June, hosted by the Inland Waterways Association of Ireland (IWAI). Vessels attending are required to apply for a free visitors permit before entering the canal network.

On the Barrow Navigation, ad angling competition will take place in the St Mullins area from Saturday 25 to Monday 27 June. Masters of vessels are requested to proceed at slow speed and note any directions issued in the vicinity.

On the Royal Canal, a canoe polo event will be taking place in the Kilcock Harbour area this Sunday 26 June. Waterways Ireland requests that the polo pitch areas and harbour be kept clear of all vessels at this time to facilitate the events, and that masters of vessels should comply with instructions from marshals. 

And next month, Mullingar Harbour will host the IWAI’s Float to the Fleadh from Sunday 31 July to Sunday 7 August. As with the Shannon Harbour rally, vessels attending are required to apply for a free visitors permit before entering the canal network.

Waterways Ireland advises masters and owners of vessels on the Grand Canal that the 24th level of the Barrow Line will be temporarily closed to navigation for essential maintenance and repairs from Monday 20 to Wednesday 22 June.

Passage from Rathangan to the 24th Lock and through McCartney’s Lock in Monasterevin will not be possible during this time, the cross-border body for Ireland’s inland waterways adds.

Waterways Ireland wishes to advise masters and owners of vessels on the Grand Canal that Lock 3 on the main line is temporarily closed for essential maintenance and repairs until next Friday 20 May. Passage through the lock will not be possible until these works are completed.

Waterways Ireland has issued notice that it plans to remove vessels in contravention of bye-laws from three of its inland waterways from early next month.

Vessels that appear abandoned or have no no permit (as per Bye Law 6(8), are doubled moored and/or causing obstruction (sunk) (Bye Law 27 (3)), or are deemed to be/likely to cause a hazard to navigation (Bye-Law 33(3)) will be removed from the Grand Canal, Royal Canal and Barrow Navigation from Wednesday 4 May.

Removed vessels may then be subsequently disposed of in accordance with Bye Law 34(2).

Affected vessels have been stickered where access allows and owners, where known, have been contacted, Waterways Ireland says.

Waterways Ireland has provided an update for masters and owners regarding canal boat passage arrangements in and out of Dublin city for the 2022 boating season.

Movements in or out of the city on its inland waterways will continue to be organised by prior arrangement to take place as a single movement in one day.

Passage will be organised and assisted for craft if they have the valid permit(s) and arrangements in place with the Waterways Ireland inspectorate. Some flexibility may be required on dates/times of travel to align with staffing and other considerations.

In order to plan the necessary lock assistance for movements east of Lock 12 on either canal, masters are required to contact the Eastern Regional Office at [email protected] or +353 (0)1 868 0148 prior to making passage.

At time of making contact, masters should provide the following details:

• Length, beam, water and air drafts of craft (provide approximates if don’t have exact dimensions)
• Permit number and expiry date of current canal permit
• Contact details for making arrangements

On the Grand Canal, a minimum of two days’ notice prior to intended passage must be given and, with the exception of pre-arranged events, a maximum of two boats per day will be taken through the locks, travelling either east or west.

Due to periodic anti-social activity along some of canal route into Dublin, boat passage will generally not be arranged in certain weather conditions and at weekends when less support is available. This can be planned for at time of making contact and suitable arrangements for passage made.

On the Royal Canal, repairs and upgrades continue to Spencer Dock Sea Lock, so boat passage (including Newcomen Bridge lifts) will be on a reduced schedule.

In addition, there will be no boat passages permitted through Locks 2 and 4 on Whitworth Road from next Tuesday 12 April for two weeks due to gate repair, gate measurement and associated works. Sections of towpath on the south side of the canal also require closure during this time.

Masters are asked to note that bridge lift dates are pre-set and as listed below, and normal restrictions will apply. Two weeks’ notice in advance of these is required; and lock assistance, bridge lift operation and sea lock passage will then be organised accordingly:

• Sunday 1 May, 9am-1pm (Liffey Low Water at 0620, 1839)
• Saturday 4 June, 9am-1pm (LW @ 0915)
• Tuesday 21 June, 11am-1pm (LW @ 1156)

Masters and owners are also reminded to ensure that they have the following before making the passage through the city locks on either canal:

• adequate fuel on board
• competent and adequate crew to operate the boat and locks (minimum crew of 3)
• a lock key on board their boat
• mooring lines of adequate length to handle vessel through a lock (approx. 15m length)
• no known mechanical problems with their boat

Waterways Ireland reserve the right to postpone passage to another day if all of these are not in place.

Lock passages can be arranged in the boating season from now until the end of October, subject to any other restrictions that may be advised by Notice from time to time.

Also note that aquatic weed is generally more prevalent as the season progresses which can hamper passage.

Boaters will be facilitated as far as practicable although Waterways Ireland cannot guarantee that passage will be possible on every planned date. Early contact will greatly assist planning and facilitate the making of the necessary arrangements.

Waterways Ireland advises users of the Grand Canal’s Barrow Line that navigation between Spencer Lock in Rathangan and Macartney Lock in Monasterevin will be closed from Monday 21 March to Friday 1 April inclusive to facilitate dredging works.