Menu

Ireland's sailing, boating & maritime magazine

Displaying items by tag: Grand Canal

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.

Published in Inland Waterways

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.

Published in Inland Waterways

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.

Published in Inland Waterways

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.

Published in Inland Waterways

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.

Published in Inland Waterways

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.

Published in Inland Waterways

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.

Published in Inland Waterways

Waterways Ireland advises of a number of temporary closures and scheduled works across the inland waterways in the coming days.

On the Grand Canal, masters of vessels should note that there will be no boat passages permitted on the Nass Branch (NCB2) for six weeks from Monday 14 February to facilitate breast gate replacement and associated works.

On the Shannon Navigation, Athlone Lock will be closed to boat traffic from Wednesday 16 to Friday 18 February to allow for the relocation hydraulic and electrical services as part of recent flood relief works.

Further north, essential dredging works will see the closure of Portna Canal on the Lower Bann Navigation to boat traffic from Monday 14 to Monday 21 February.

And in Dublin, masters and users of the Royal Canal should note essential tree works taking place between the 12th Lock and Granard Bridge (Castleknock Road) from Monday 14 February.

These works are expected to last for 10 working days which may not be consecutive, weather and staff resources allowing. Vessel owners moored on the north band are asked to cooperate with the tree works contractor to access the bank area for tree removal.

While closure of the towpath is not foreseen, towpath users are asked to be mindful of the works ongoing.

Published in Inland Waterways

Waterways Ireland advises that the towpath on the south bank of the Grand Canal adjacent to Church Avenue in Sallins, Co Kildare will be closed from Tuesday 15 to Saturday 26 February.

This closure is to facilitate tree removal works for the new Grand Canal Greenway route, the cross-border body for Ireland’s inland waterways says. It follows a similar closure from Lucan to Hazelhatch that continues until this Sunday 6 February.

Published in Inland Waterways

Waterways Ireland advises users of the Grand Canal from Lock 12 in Lucan to Hazelhatch that the towpath on the north bank will be closed from Monday 10 January to Sunday 6 February inclusive.

This four-week closure is to facilitate site investigation works for the Grand Canal Greenway Project, the cross-border body for Ireland’s inland waterways says.

Published in Inland Waterways
Page 5 of 18

Dun Laoghaire Harbour Information

Dun Laoghaire Harbour is the second port for Dublin and is located on the south shore of Dublin Bay. Marine uses for this 200-year-old man-made harbour have changed over its lifetime. Originally built as a port of refuge for sailing ships entering the narrow channel at Dublin Port, the harbour has had a continuous ferry link with Wales, and this was the principal activity of the harbour until the service stopped in 2015. In all this time, however, one thing has remained constant, and that is the popularity of sailing and boating from the port, making it Ireland's marine leisure capital with a harbour fleet of between 1,200 -1,600 pleasure craft based at the country's largest marina (800 berths) and its four waterfront yacht clubs.

Dun Laoghaire Harbour Bye-Laws

Download the bye-laws on this link here

FAQs

A live stream Dublin Bay webcam showing Dun Laoghaire Harbour entrance and East Pier is here

Dun Laoghaire is a Dublin suburb situated on the south side of Dublin Bay, approximately, 15km from Dublin city centre.

The east and west piers of the harbour are each of 1 kilometre (0.62 miles) long.

The harbour entrance is 232 metres (761 ft) across from East to West Pier.

  • Public Boatyard
  • Public slipway
  • Public Marina

23 clubs, 14 activity providers and eight state-related organisations operate from Dun Laoghaire Harbour that facilitates a full range of sports - Sailing, Rowing, Diving, Windsurfing, Angling, Canoeing, Swimming, Triathlon, Powerboating, Kayaking and Paddleboarding. Participants include members of the public, club members, tourists, disabled, disadvantaged, event competitors, schools, youth groups and college students.

  • Commissioners of Irish Lights
  • Dun Laoghaire Marina
  • MGM Boats & Boatyard
  • Coastguard
  • Naval Service Reserve
  • Royal National Lifeboat Institution
  • Marine Activity Centre
  • Rowing clubs
  • Yachting and Sailing Clubs
  • Sailing Schools
  • Irish Olympic Sailing Team
  • Chandlery & Boat Supply Stores

The east and west granite-built piers of Dun Laoghaire harbour are each of one kilometre (0.62 mi) long and enclose an area of 250 acres (1.0 km2) with the harbour entrance being 232 metres (761 ft) in width.

In 2018, the ownership of the great granite was transferred in its entirety to Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council who now operate and manage the harbour. Prior to that, the harbour was operated by The Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company, a state company, dissolved in 2018 under the Ports Act.

  • 1817 - Construction of the East Pier to a design by John Rennie began in 1817 with Earl Whitworth Lord Lieutenant of Ireland laying the first stone.
  • 1820 - Rennie had concerns a single pier would be subject to silting, and by 1820 gained support for the construction of the West pier to begin shortly afterwards. When King George IV left Ireland from the harbour in 1820, Dunleary was renamed Kingstown, a name that was to remain in use for nearly 100 years. The harbour was named the Royal Harbour of George the Fourth which seems not to have remained for so long.
  • 1824 - saw over 3,000 boats shelter in the partially completed harbour, but it also saw the beginning of operations off the North Wall which alleviated many of the issues ships were having accessing Dublin Port.
  • 1826 - Kingstown harbour gained the important mail packet service which at the time was under the stewardship of the Admiralty with a wharf completed on the East Pier in the following year. The service was transferred from Howth whose harbour had suffered from silting and the need for frequent dredging.
  • 1831 - Royal Irish Yacht Club founded
  • 1837 - saw the creation of Victoria Wharf, since renamed St. Michael's Wharf with the D&KR extended and a new terminus created convenient to the wharf.[8] The extended line had cut a chord across the old harbour with the landward pool so created later filled in.
  • 1838 - Royal St George Yacht Club founded
  • 1842 - By this time the largest man-made harbour in Western Europe had been completed with the construction of the East Pier lighthouse.
  • 1855 - The harbour was further enhanced by the completion of Traders Wharf in 1855 and Carlisle Pier in 1856. The mid-1850s also saw the completion of the West Pier lighthouse. The railway was connected to Bray in 1856
  • 1871 - National Yacht Club founded
  • 1884 - Dublin Bay Sailing Club founded
  • 1918 - The Mailboat, “The RMS Leinster” sailed out of Dún Laoghaire with 685 people on board. 22 were post office workers sorting the mail; 70 were crew and the vast majority of the passengers were soldiers returning to the battlefields of World War I. The ship was torpedoed by a German U-boat near the Kish lighthouse killing many of those onboard.
  • 1920 - Kingstown reverted to the name Dún Laoghaire in 1920 and in 1924 the harbour was officially renamed "Dun Laoghaire Harbour"
  • 1944 - a diaphone fog signal was installed at the East Pier
  • 1965 - Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club founded
  • 1968 - The East Pier lighthouse station switched from vapourised paraffin to electricity, and became unmanned. The new candle-power was 226,000
  • 1977- A flying boat landed in Dun Laoghaire Harbour, one of the most unusual visitors
  • 1978 - Irish National Sailing School founded
  • 1934 - saw the Dublin and Kingstown Railway begin operations from their terminus at Westland Row to a terminus at the West Pier which began at the old harbour
  • 2001 - Dun Laoghaire Marina opens with 500 berths
  • 2015 - Ferry services cease bringing to an end a 200-year continuous link with Wales.
  • 2017- Bicentenary celebrations and time capsule laid.
  • 2018 - Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company dissolved, the harbour is transferred into the hands of Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council

From East pier to West Pier the waterfront clubs are:

  • National Yacht Club. Read latest NYC news here
  • Royal St. George Yacht Club. Read latest RSTGYC news here
  • Royal Irish Yacht Club. Read latest RIYC news here
  • Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club. Read latest DMYC news here

 

The umbrella organisation that organises weekly racing in summer and winter on Dublin Bay for all the yacht clubs is Dublin Bay Sailing Club. It has no clubhouse of its own but operates through the clubs with two x Committee vessels and a starters hut on the West Pier. Read the latest DBSC news here.

The sailing community is a key stakeholder in Dún Laoghaire. The clubs attract many visitors from home and abroad and attract major international sailing events to the harbour.

 

Dun Laoghaire Regatta

Dun Laoghaire's biennial town regatta was started in 2005 as a joint cooperation by the town's major yacht clubs. It was an immediate success and is now in its eighth edition and has become Ireland's biggest sailing event. The combined club's regatta is held in the first week of July.

  • Attracts 500 boats and more from overseas and around the country
  • Four-day championship involving 2,500 sailors with supporting family and friends
  • Economic study carried out by the Irish Marine Federation estimated the economic value of the 2009 Regatta at €2.5 million

The dates for the 2021 edition of Ireland's biggest sailing event on Dublin Bay is: 8-11 July 2021. More details here

Dun Laoghaire-Dingle Offshore Race

The biennial Dun Laoghaire to Dingle race is a 320-miles race down the East coast of Ireland, across the south coast and into Dingle harbour in County Kerry. The latest news on the Dun Laoghaire to Dingle Race can be found by clicking on the link here. The race is organised by the National Yacht Club.

The 2021 Race will start from the National Yacht Club on Wednesday 9th, June 2021.

Round Ireland Yacht Race

This is a Wicklow Sailing Club race but in 2013 the Garden County Club made an arrangement that sees see entries berthed at the RIYC in Dun Laoghaire Harbour for scrutineering prior to the biennial 704–mile race start off Wicklow harbour. Larger boats have been unable to berth in the confines of Wicklow harbour, a factor WSC believes has restricted the growth of the Round Ireland fleet. 'It means we can now encourage larger boats that have shown an interest in competing but we have been unable to cater for in Wicklow' harbour, WSC Commodore Peter Shearer told Afloat.ie here. The race also holds a pre-ace launch party at the Royal Irish Yacht Club.

Laser Masters World Championship 2018

  • 301 boats from 25 nations

Laser Radial World Championship 2016

  • 436 competitors from 48 nations

ISAF Youth Worlds 2012

  • The Youth Olympics of Sailing run on behalf of World Sailing in 2012.
  • Two-week event attracting 61 nations, 255 boats, 450 volunteers.
  • Generated 9,000 bed nights and valued at €9 million to the local economy.

The Harbour Police are authorised by the company to police the harbour and to enforce and implement bye-laws within the harbour, and all regulations made by the company in relation to the harbour.

There are four ship/ferry berths in Dun Laoghaire:

  • No 1 berth (East Pier)
  • No 2 berth (east side of Carlisle Pier)
  • No 3 berth (west side of Carlisle Pier)
  • No 4 berth  (St, Michaels Wharf)

Berthing facilities for smaller craft exist in the town's 800-berth marina and on swinging moorings.

© Afloat 2020