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Displaying items by tag: Phibsborough

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.

Published in Inland Waterways

Marine Wildlife Around Ireland One of the greatest memories of any day spent boating around the Irish coast is an encounter with marine wildlife.  It's a thrill for young and old to witness seabirds, seals, dolphins and whales right there in their own habitat. As boaters fortunate enough to have experienced it will testify even spotting a distant dorsal fin can be the highlight of any day afloat.  Was that a porpoise? Was it a whale? No matter how brief the glimpse it's a privilege to share the seas with Irish marine wildlife.

Thanks to the location of our beautiful little island, perched in the North Atlantic Ocean there appears to be no shortage of marine life to observe.

From whales to dolphins, seals, sharks and other ocean animals this page documents the most interesting accounts of marine wildlife around our shores. We're keen to receive your observations, your photos, links and youtube clips.

Boaters have a unique perspective and all those who go afloat, from inshore kayaking to offshore yacht racing that what they encounter can be of real value to specialist organisations such as the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) who compile a list of sightings and strandings. The IWDG knowledge base has increased over the past 21 years thanks in part at least to the observations of sailors, anglers, kayakers and boaters.

Thanks to the IWDG work we now know we share the seas with dozens of species who also call Ireland home. Here's the current list: Atlantic white-sided dolphin, beluga whale, blue whale, bottlenose dolphin, common dolphin, Cuvier's beaked whale, false killer whale, fin whale, Gervais' beaked whale, harbour porpoise, humpback whale, killer whale, minke whale, northern bottlenose whale, northern right whale, pilot whale, pygmy sperm whale, Risso's dolphin, sei whale, Sowerby's beaked whale, sperm whale, striped dolphin, True's beaked whale and white-beaked dolphin.

But as impressive as the species list is the IWDG believe there are still gaps in our knowledge. Next time you are out on the ocean waves keep a sharp look out!