Waterways Ireland has confirmed that work will begin on the Royal Canal to excavate and reline 410 metres of the canal that runs between Lock 6 and 7 in the Phibsborough/Cabra area. The work is key to keeping the Canal navigable for a range of boats and will also address seepage through the canal embankment adjacent to Shandon Gardens.

The work which requires the dewatering of the canal will remove sediment and rubbish deposits from the central navigation channel before the construction of a new impervious lining to the canal. All material removed from the canals will be transported to licensed disposal facilities. Restoration of the existing towpath walls will also be undertaken to heritage approved standards.

Environmental surveys have been undertaken in full compliance with the regulatory authorities along with the planned removal of all fish to be carried under licence before onsite work begins.
A Traffic Management Plan will be agreed with Dublin City Council and implemented to keep traffic disruption to a minimum. Works are due to be completed by year end.

To facilitate works, the Royal Canal will be closed to navigation from 19 September 2011. The towpath from Lock 6 to the Liffey Junction Bridge on the north side and the Shandon Park area on the south side of the Canal will be closed for the duration of the contract. Following consultation and agreement with residents, a temporary roadway and bridge will also be constructed to provide access for the Coke Oven Residents through Shandon Park. This access will be suitable for emergency vehicles.

An engineer will be full time in attendance for the duration of the contract to ensure that issues which arise are dealt with in a prompt and efficient manner. For further information on the project please visit the Waterways Ireland web site www.waterwaysireland.org and check out the 'Navigation Information, Planned Works' page.

With sweeping lines the 54m private motor-yacht Fortunate Sun became the largest vessel to transit Dublin's Samuel Beckett swing-bridge, writes Jehan Ashmore.

She remained alongside this berth which is normally used by large commercial ships until the vessel sought a berth much closer to the city-centre. This led to a shift of berths in the evening when the 2003 built vessel headed upriver to the Dublin City Moorings facility at Custom House Quay, but this firstly required transiting through two bridges.

With a beam of 10.6m Fortunate Sun entered through the East-Link toll-lift bridge followed by the Samuel Beckett bridge, the Liffey's newest crossing point which opened in late 2009. The €60m bridge was commissioned by Dublin City Council and designed by the Spanish architect engineer Santiago Calatrava. To read more on the bridge click HERE.

Fortunate Sun is registered in the Caymen Islands and is capable of over 17 knots on a range of 5000 nautical miles. She has a steel hull and an aluminium superstructure and interiors also by Tim Heywood Design. In the early hours of tomorrow morning the vessel built by Oceanfast is to depart through the 5,700 tonnes bridge which was delivered by barge after a five-day voyage from Rotterdam.

There has been previous transits of the bridge notably the annual Dublin Rally organised by the the Inland Waterways Association of Ireland (IWAI). This year's Dublin Rally took place on 1 May when boats travelling on the Royal Canal descended via Croke Park and entered the Liffey at Spencer Dock. This required the Iarnrod Éireann bridge-lift and the water level in Spencer Dock to be lowered so to allow safe clearance under the Sheriff St. bridge.

From there the IWAI flotilla made the short passage downriver to re-enter another inland waterway system at the Grand Canal Dock, marking where the Liffey connects with the city's southern canal. The 2011 Dublin Rally was the first time since 1955 that boats could enter Dublin from the Shannon via the Royal Canal and the first time since 2004 that boats also joined from the Royal Canal.

A new documentary on Ireland's waterways is being filmed in Mullingar this week.

The series will follow naturalist and broadcaster Dick Warner as he explores the Royal Canal in time for the final reopening of the entire route.

Warner will be taking the Rambler, an original canal tug barsg, from Dublin through to Lough Ree for the first time since 1923.

Warner told the Westmeath Examiner that he's "enjoying the wildlife side of it the most, the kingfishers and herons, the wildflowers, that's what I've loved the most about this journey. We're making very good progress. We're in Ballymahon now and we hope to reach the Shannon by towards the end of this week."

Waterways - The Final Journey is set to come to our screens in August.

The Westmeath Examiner has more on the story HERE.

Nenagh resident and inland waterways enthusiast, Nick Theato, single-handed aboard 'Bo-Bo, a five metre Pedro trailer/sailer and Pat Kelly, Killadangan, with his son Andrew in 'Shu-Ra-Nu', a 6 metre Etap 20 trailer/sailer, plan to raise funds for Lifeboats Ireland by undertaking the IWAI Green & Silver Challenge in June, 2011. Their fundraising target is €5,000.00.

On the 25th June, 1946, Tom and Angela Rolt left Athlone aboard 'Le Coq', a 28ft.x8ft. converted ship's lifeboat on a voyage that would inspire contemporary and successive generations of inland waterways enthusiasts.

Tom Rolt wonderfully documented the voyage in his book 'Green & Silver', published in 1949, which has since become a classic. This work was instrumental in inspiring the small group who founded the Inland Waterways Association of Ireland in 1954, whose objective was to save the Shannon navigation from strangulation by low bridges. Indeed, the colour scheme of the IWAI's logo and burgee derive from the cover design of Rolt's book.

With the re-opening of the Royal Canal in October 2010, it is now possible to retrace Rolt's journey in full and complete the circular route formed by the Royal Canal, River Liffey, Grand Canal, River Shannon and Camlin River.

To celebrate this event, the IWAI has initiated the 'Green & Silver Challenge' in an effort to encourage people to make the circular journey. Nenagh resident, Nick Theato single-handed aboard 'Bo-Bo, a 16 foot Pedro trailer/sailer and Pat Kelly, Killadangan, with his son Andrew aboard 'Shu-Ra-Nu', a 20 foot Etap trailer/sailer, plan to raise funds for Lifeboats Ireland by travelling the full Green & Silver Route throughout June 2011.

Departing on June 1st, they will travel from Dromineer through Lough Derg and Lough Ree and enter the Royal Canal at Richmond Harbour. They plan to cross the Liffey in Dublin 17 days later, where they will take a welcome day off before commencing the return journey via the Grand Canal to Shannon Harbour. The journey will take approximately 28 days, will cover a minimum of 333 km. and navigate through 92 locks (some double), 91 of which are manual. Their fundraising target is €5,000

Nick Theato is Treasurer of the Lough Derg RNLI Fundraising Branch and Lough Derg Lifeboat Station at Dromineer.

Pat Kelly is Secretary of the Lough Derg RNLI Fundraising Branch.

Nick and Pat welcome all sponsorship, however modest. Contributions can be pledged online at http://www.mycharity.ie/event/green_silver_event/. Nick may be contacted on 086 1738014 ([email protected]). Pat is at 087 6908099 ([email protected]).

For further details / interviews / photos: Contact Pat Kelly at 087 6908099 ([email protected]). Support photography: Gerardine Wisdom 087 6522582 ([email protected]).

The Royal Canal (Irish: An Chanáil Ríoga) was originally built for freight and passenger transportation from the River Liffey at Dublin to the River Shannon at Cloondara in County Longford in Ireland. It fell into disrepair, but since has been restored for navigation. The Royal Canal's full length was re-opened on 1 October 2010.

Work commenced in 1790 and lasted 27 years before finally reaching the Shannon in 1817, at a total cost of £1,421,954 [1]. The canal passes through Maynooth, Kilcock, Enfield, Mullingar and Ballymahon has a spur to Longford. The total length of the main navigation is 145 kilometres (90 mi), and the system has 46 locks. There is one main feeder (from Lough Owel), which enters the canal at Mullingar. At the Dublin end, the canal reaches the Liffey through a wide sequence of dock and locks at Spencer Dock, with a final sea lock to manage access to the river and sea.

In 1843, while walking with his wife along the Royal Canal, Sir William Rowan Hamilton realised the formula for quaternions and carved his initial thoughts into a stone on the Brougham Bridge over the canal.

The Dublin - Mullingar railway line was built alongside the canal for much of the distance. The meandering route of the canal ensures a speed limiting curvature for the railway.

The canal travels across one of the major junctions on the M50/N3 in a specially constructed aqueduct.

By the 1970s the canal was falling into total disrepair and became a dumping ground for old cars and rubbish. Suggestions were made the inner Dublin part of the canal to become motorway which lead to the community forming an action group to encourage the Dublin City Council to clean and maintain the canal.

Waterways Ireland is now responsible for the canal. The full canal between the Liffey in Dublin and the Shannon in Co. Longford reopened on the 2nd of October 2010. Access points currently exist near Leixlip and at Maynooth, Enfield, Thomastown, Mullingar, Ballinea Bridge and Ballynacargy.

In 2006 a commemoration marker was erected at Piper's Boreen, Mullingar, to mark the 200 years since the canal reached Mullingar in 1806.

The Heritage Council of Ireland has a diverse range of marine topics that can be downloaded from their website through the Marine publications section. There are publications, reports and presentations available from this area of interest and can be accessed by clicking here

The following topics below are just some of the categories featured, they include the Bere Island Conservation Plan, Ireland's Sharks & Rays, Conserving Ireland's Maritime Heritage and an Audit of Maritime Collections.

The maritime heritage section of the Heritage Council covers the cultural, physical and ecological dimensions. In addition it embraces the legacies of past generations, their traditions and natural features of both coastal and offshore environments.

For those interested in freshwater topics, the Heritage Council also recognises the importance of our inland waterways and canal network. The Heritage Council has undertaken a Waterway Corridor Studies on the Shannon, as well as on parts of the Grand and Royal Canals. For further information and downloadable in PDF format logn to www.heritagecouncil.ie/inland_waterways/

Masters, owners and inland waterways users on the Grand Canal, the Barrow Navigation and the Royal Canal are advised that the daily seasonal working hours for Lock Keepers and Water Patrollers have recently been updated.  Specific details of the updated schedules are given on the attached ‘Working Hours’ table; including location, contact number & day off.  Please refer to the relevant Navigation Guides for the locations of the locks.

In landWaterways Ireland advises all Masters and users to contact Lock Keepers / Water Patrollers on the navigations prior to travel where possible.

Waterways Ireland reminds Masters and users to leave all locks as they were found.  It is normal to leave the lock empty with a tail rack up, the breast (upper) gates closed and all racks on the breast (upper) gate side of the lock down or closed. Please find full schedule of lock keepers hours attached below.

A section of the Royal canal on the inland waterways will be closed between 15 Nov 2010 until 1 Dec 2010 to facilitate works at the Blackwater Aqueduct near Enfield which is situated on the long level between locks 17 and 18.

In  Maynooth, due to the installation of new lock gates and bank repairs at the 14th Lock near Maynooth, the canal will be closed from 17th November 2010 to 31st January 2011, both dates inclusive. It will also be necessary on occasions to close the towpath for health and safety reasons.

The Minister for Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs, Pat Carey T.D., today announced the approval of the granting of leases for a number of proposed developments on Dublin's canals on the inland waterways.

The developments include the construction of a cycle bridge across the Royal Canal at Spencer Dock, a boardwalk along the Grand Canal at Leeson Street and a pedestrian/cycle bridge across the Grand Canal at Lynches Lane.

The decision to grant leases to Dublin City Council and South Dublin County Council for the proposed developments was taken at a meeting of the North South Ministerial Council in Armagh this morning. Speaking after the meeting, Minister Carey said the decision to approve the leases had the potential to further transform Dublin's waterways for the benefit of the citizens of Dublin.

Minister Carey said, "Developments like those proposed by Dublin City Council will add to the regeneration of the city and will strengthen the environmental, social and economic fabric of the capital. They will add to the quality of life of all and especially to the quality of life of pedestrians and cyclists."

John Martin, Chief Executive of Waterways Ireland, the cross-border body charged with the all-island promotion and development of waterways is delighted that the Ministers have approved the granting of the leases at the NSMC.

He said "Waterways Ireland is happy to facilitate the development of these waterside amenities in the Dublin Area. We hope to work with all the local authorities on many projects in the future right across the Dublin Region."

The winner of the prestigious Taste of the Inland Waterways Award was revealed this week by Georgina Campbell as "Keenan's of Tarmonbarry".
Presenting the Taste of the Waterways Award to Keenan's of Tarmonbarry, Martin Dennany, Director of Marketing and Communications, Waterways Ireland stated "Keenan's of Tarmonbarry epitomises the waterway dining experience and I am delighted to present this Taste of the Waterways Award and to commend Georgina Campbell on her choice. With the recent completion of the link between the Royal Canal and the Shannon Navigation, we hope that many will take the opportunity to visit the area and to experience for themselves the delights of waterside hospitality at this fine establishment. Waterways Ireland is happy to sponsor this award and to recognise the contribution that businesses like Keenan's make to the tourism industry".
The Taste of the Waterways Award was first introduced in 2008 and runs in conjunction with "The Taste of Waterways" booklet, a publication produced by Waterways Ireland in partnership with Georgina Campbell highlighting the excellent hospitality of the waterway experience. The guide is free and updated regularly with Georgina's selection of establishments of all kinds serving food and hospitality all along the inland waterways.
Martin Dennany commenting on the guide stated "The judging criteria and standard of assessment for the Taste of the Waterways Georgina Campbell guide is very high, with selection made on merit alone: no payment is charged for entry, no payments accepted for advertising".
Georgina Campbell described Keenan's as "Just beside the bridge over the Shannon in Tarmonbarry, this well-run bar and restaurant has been a favourite watering hole for river folk for many years - and it makes a great place to break a journey between Dublin and the north-west. The range is wide, offering wholesome, hearty fare that pleases all age groups and includes very welcome traditional dishes. But it's for their steaks, above all, that people beat a path to Keenan's of Tarmonbarry - and why wouldn't they? Whether you go for a classic sirloin, a big juicy fillet, or their renowned steak sandwich, the steaks at this hospitable watering hole are not to be missed."