Waterways Ireland advises masters of vessels and users of the Shannon Navigation that significant redevelopment works at Connaught Harbour will commence in the coming weeks.

A new public marina adjacent to Connaught Harbour and redevelopment of the bridge yard site will be undertaken from September to December, followed by some completion works and pile removals in July 2023.

Connaught Harbour and the quay wall at the bridge yard site will be closed for mooring of vessels from this Sunday 18 September until the completion of the works. All vessels moored in these areas should vacate the moorings by this date, the cross-border body for Ireland's inland waterways advises.

Waterways Ireland advises masters of vessels on the Lower Bann navigation that essential bridge maintenance works are are being conducted at Kilrea Bridge in Kilrea, Co Derry as of Monday 12 September 2022 for a period of eight weeks.

These works will necessitate the closure of the eastern arch to all navigation. However, navigation is still facilitated through the adjacent two arches which are marked accordingly, the cross-border body for Ireland’s inland waterways says.

Waterways Ireland wishes to advise masters of vessels on the inland waterways that as of Friday September, Corradillar Jetty on Upper Lough Erne in Co Fermanagh is closed until further notice for repair works.

Waterways Ireland advises masters of vessels and waterways users on the Shannon Navigation that a series of events will take place in Killaloe next weekend (16-18 September) as part of the end-of-season LUA celebration of ‘wild water’ in the Co Clare village.

Friday 16 September will see the Lough Derg branch of the Inland Waterways Association of Ireland (IWAI) hold its end-of-season celebration with commodores John and Sandra Lefroy and Matt Daniels with guest of honour Mayor of Clare, Tony O’Brien. 
                                         
In addition, Norma Manly and band will be in concert at St Flannan’s Cathedral from 8pm.

On Saturday 17 September, there will be a presentation by Gary McMahon, director of the AKA Ilen project on sailing in Irish and international waters for over a century. This takes place at noon in St Flannan’s Cathedral.

It will be followed by a presentation by Martin Cooper on the cathedral’s distinctive bells at 3pm, honouring Bryan and Betty Brislane.

And at 8pm there will be a special concert — Killaloe: a musical celebration — featuring Mary Donahue, Paul Fitzpatrick and friends. Proceeds will go to the Lough Derg Coast Guard and Killaloe Fire and Rescue Services.

On Sunday 18 September, Caroline Rainsford will host a special hour-long session of tai chi by the waterside from 9am, free and suitable for all abilities.

At 11.30am, there will be an ecumenical service at St Flannan’s that will include a blessing of the waterways and environs, followed by a presentation to Sandra and John Lefroy of the famed steamboat Phoenix as well as a closing celebration hosted by the IWAI’s Lough Derg branch.

Throughout the weekend, St Flannan’s will also host a special art exhibition from local artist Trish Taylor Thompson on the theme of the waterways.

Meanwhile, Waterways Ireland advises masters of vessels that construction works have commenced on a new bridge across the Shannon Navigation around 1km downstream of the existing bridge in Killaloe.

A silt curtain has been installed in the navigation and construction works will be extending into the navigation over the next 12 months. Masters of vessels should proceed with additional caution in the vicinity of the construction works.

Waterways Ireland advises masters of all craft that maintenance dredging will be taking place on the Shannon-Erne Waterway in Co Cavan until Friday 30 September.

The dredging will take place on the inland waterway in the vicinity of Lock 1 in Corraquill and Lock 2 at Ballyconnell.

During this operation a floating pontoon will be located on the water with mechanical dredging plant operating. The navigable channel will remain open outside of the immediate area being dredged.

Masters of vessels are asked to comply with safety signage and heed all instructions from safety personnel who will be in the area. 

Taoiseach Micheál Martin is due to lay the foundation stone this morning (Tuesday 30 August) to mark the start of Phase 2 works on the Ulster Canal restoration project.

The Taoiseach will be joined at Ulster Canal Stores in Clones, Co Monaghan by Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien and Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys.

Minister of State for Heritage, Malcolm Noonan and Northern Ireland Minister for Infrastructure, John O’Dowd are also due to attend the event which marks the latest stage in restoring the 180-year-canal.

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, Phase 2 of the Ulster Canal restoration involves expenditure of €20 million in developing a new marina and two new access bridges along with repairs to an existing masonry arch bridge and a sustainable water supply.

It is due to involve work on about a kilometre of canal and towpath, with a looped walk and an amenity area on the canal route.

The amenity area will include car parking, bus and trailer spaces, a service block and picnic, and will be connected to the town and existing playground.

This phase is expected to be completed next year, according to Waterways Ireland, the cross-border body for Ireland’s inland waterways.

Work on the Ulster Canal began in 1841 and it was open to commercial traffic within the year.

The navigation combining river and canal was about 93km long, taking a route through counties Fermanagh, Cavan, Monaghan, Tyrone and Armagh.

The last trading boat used the canal in 1929, and it officially closed in 1931.
 
In 2020 the first phase of the Ulster Canal’s restoration was completed, with around 2.5km of new river navigation along the Finn between Quivvy Lough and Castle Saunderson.

It involved dredging the River Finn, constructing of a new lateral canal and navigation arch at Derrykerrib bridge and installing a new floating jetty at Castle Saunderson.

The contract for this second phase was signed in late July of this year by Waterways Ireland chief executive John McDonagh and Jons Civil Engineering Company managing director John Pentony at an event attended by ministers O’Brien and Humphreys.

The investment of €20 million in funding under the Programme for Government for this phase is supported by €8 million from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, €6 million from the Shared Island Fund and €6 million from the Department of Rural and Community Development, according to Waterways Ireland.

Waterways Ireland advises masters of all craft on the Shannon Navigation that there is a sunken vessel on the western side of the navigation some 200m upstream of the N6 bridge at Athlone.

Afloat.ie previously reported on the rescue of 10 people from the speedboat on Saturday evening by Lough Ree RNLI.

A temporary red buoy is in place to mark the location, and masters are requested to proceed with additional caution in the area.

Elsewhere, on Lough Derg the Green Cage Buoy No 1184 northwest of the Corrikeen Islands has moved from its correct position.

A temporary green buoy has been installed at this location until the cage buoy can be repositioned.

Masters of vessels are urged to proceed with additional caution in the area. The cross-border body for Ireland’s inland waterways assures that the marker will be replaced as soon as possible.

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 that further diving operations will be conducted on floating breakwaters along the Shannon Navigation from this coming Tuesday (16 August).

Masters of vessels are requested to proceed with additional caution in the vicinity of the works at Spencer Harbour and Cleighran More on Lough Allen in Co Leitrim, Derryvunny and Rockingham on Lough Key and Kilglass in Co Roscommon until Tuesday 23 August.

The cross-border body for Ireland’s inland waterways previously announced diving operations taking place from 11-19 August at Ballyleague on Lough Ree, Castle Harbour in Portumna and Garrykennedy on Lough Derg, and Limerick city.

Waterways Ireland advises all users of the Lower Bann that essential long-term maintenance works have been completed at Carnroe Lock and it is now reopened to navigation, as of Friday 12 August.

New upstream gates were announced in late 2020 for the Northern Ireland river lock which last had its gates replaced more than 50 years ago, as previously reported on Afloat.ie.