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Displaying items by tag: Waterways Ireland

Waterways Ireland advises masters of vessels and waterway users that Lock 3 on the main line of the Grand Canal at Inchicore in Dublin has been reopened after the early completion of emergency repair works on the lock gates.

Published in Inland Waterways

Waterways Ireland advises masters of vessels and waterway users on the Erne System in Northern Ireland that the Castle Museum and Henry Street jetties in Enniskillen will be closed to mooring over the coming days to facilitate the Erne Classic coarse angling competition.

The Henry Street Jetty will close from 8am on Saturday 6 May while the Castle Museum Jetty will close from 8am on Tuesday 9 May. Both will reopen from 6pm on Friday 12 May.

Masters of vessels and waterways users are requested to proceed with additional caution in the vicinity of the fishing competition and to be aware of possibility of fishing lines in the water, the cross-border body for Ireland’s inland waterways adds.

Published in Inland Waterways

Waterways Ireland advises masters of vessels and waterway users that Lock 3 on the main line of the Grand Canal at Inchicore in Dublin will be closed from Friday 5 May until Saturday 3 June to facilitate emergency repair works on the lock gates.

Published in Inland Waterways

Waterways Ireland advises masters of vessels and waterway users that Drumleague Lock on the Shannon Navigation’s Lough Allen Canal has been reopened for the May Bank Holiday as of Saturday 29 April but will close again from Tuesday 2 until Saturday 13 to facilitate continued emergency repair works to the lock gates.

Published in Inland Waterways

Waterways Ireland advises masters of vessels and waterway users on the Erne System that remedial works are planned for Corradillar Jetty on Upper Lough Erne on Friday 21 April and from next Monday 24 to Friday 28 April.

Access to the Co Fermanagh jetty and slipway will be limited during the above dates with the site closure on Monday to include the jetty, slipway, quay and car park, the cross-border body for Ireland’s inland waterways adds.

Mechanical equipment will be operating on land and on the water. Masters of vessels and waterways users should proceed with additional caution in the vicinity of the works and adhere to instructions from works crews and signage.

Published in Inland Waterways

Waterways Ireland advises masters of vessels and users of the Grand Canal that ground investigation works have commenced Phase 2 of the Grand Canal Greenway between Sallins and Lowtown in northeast Co Kildare.

These Kildare County Council works started on Tuesday 18 April and are expected to last for approximately eight weeks.

The towpaths shall mostly remain open for public use for the duration of the works but intermittent closures will be necessary during trial hole excavations.

Advance warning signage will be erected on the towpath to warn the public of any closure. Boat navigation will not be affected, the cross-border body for Ireland’s inland waterways adds.

Published in Inland Waterways

Waterways Ireland informs masters of vessels and waterway users on the Shannon-Erne Waterway that the waterfront jetty in Leitrim village is now owned and managed by Waterways Ireland.

This jetty is located upstream of the slipway on the northern side of the waterway. The Shannon Navigation Bye Laws apply to this jetty from Monday 17 April, the cross-border body for Ireland’s inland waterways adds.

Published in Inland Waterways

Waterways Ireland advises all masters of vessels and users of the Lower Bann that Carnroe Lock has been reopened open to navigation after repair works.

The Northern Ireland river lock had been closed for infrastructure maintenance last December, as previously reported on Afloat.ie.

Masters of vessels are advised that water levels between Carnroe Weir and the The Cutts are currently high, the cross-border body for Ireland’s inland waterways adds.

Published in Inland Waterways

Waterways Ireland advises masters of vessels and waterway users that Drumleague Lock on the Shannon Navigation’s Lough Allen Canal will be closed from Tuesday 18 to Saturday 29 April to facilitate emergency repair works to the lock gates.

Published in Inland Waterways

Waterways Ireland advises masters of vessels on the Shannon Navigation that in-river works for the construction of the Killaloe Bypass bridge commence Monday 17 April and are expected to continue for several months until December.

The bridge is being constructed around 1km downstream of the existing Killaloe–Ballina bridge.

Plant and other equipment that will be operating on the navigation during these in-river works include the following:

  • Jack-up piling barge, 22m x 17m x 2.44m
  • Stabilising crane barge, 30m x 23m x 1.88m
  • Piling rig, 85t
  • Crawler crane, 130t
  • Tugboat/pusher boat Tiger 2
  • Dumb barge, 23m x 9m
  • Landing craft
  • Safety boat
  • Landing pontoon and gangways

Piling will commence on Tuesday 2 May with three bridge piers being constructed in the navigation by December, the cross-border body for Ireland’s inland waterways says.

A buoyed navigation channel has been provided for 100 metres either side of the in river works since Friday 14 April. The navigation channel will be to the west side of the barges/pontoons from Monday 17 April to Wednesday 31 May.

Masters of vessels are requested to proceed at slow speed, with additional caution in the vicinity of the works, and to follow the instructions of the safety boat crew.

Published in Inland Waterways
Page 12 of 67

Ferry & Car Ferry News The ferry industry on the Irish Sea, is just like any other sector of the shipping industry, in that it is made up of a myriad of ship operators, owners, managers, charterers all contributing to providing a network of routes carried out by a variety of ships designed for different albeit similar purposes.

All this ferry activity involves conventional ferry tonnage, 'ro-pax', where the vessel's primary design is to carry more freight capacity rather than passengers. This is in some cases though, is in complete variance to the fast ferry craft where they carry many more passengers and charging a premium.

In reporting the ferry scene, we examine the constantly changing trends of this sector, as rival ferry operators are competing in an intensive environment, battling out for market share following the fallout of the economic crisis. All this has consequences some immediately felt, while at times, the effects can be drawn out over time, leading to the expense of others, through reduced competition or takeover or even face complete removal from the marketplace, as witnessed in recent years.

Arising from these challenging times, there are of course winners and losers, as exemplified in the trend to run high-speed ferry craft only during the peak-season summer months and on shorter distance routes. In addition, where fastcraft had once dominated the ferry scene, during the heady days from the mid-90's onwards, they have been replaced by recent newcomers in the form of the 'fast ferry' and with increased levels of luxury, yet seeming to form as a cost-effective alternative.

Irish Sea Ferry Routes

Irrespective of the type of vessel deployed on Irish Sea routes (between 2-9 hours), it is the ferry companies that keep the wheels of industry moving as freight vehicles literally (roll-on and roll-off) ships coupled with motoring tourists and the humble 'foot' passenger transported 363 days a year.

As such the exclusive freight-only operators provide important trading routes between Ireland and the UK, where the freight haulage customer is 'king' to generating year-round revenue to the ferry operator. However, custom built tonnage entering service in recent years has exceeded the level of capacity of the Irish Sea in certain quarters of the freight market.

A prime example of the necessity for trade in which we consumers often expect daily, though arguably question how it reached our shores, is the delivery of just in time perishable products to fill our supermarket shelves.

A visual manifestation of this is the arrival every morning and evening into our main ports, where a combination of ferries, ro-pax vessels and fast-craft all descend at the same time. In essence this a marine version to our road-based rush hour traffic going in and out along the commuter belts.

Across the Celtic Sea, the ferry scene coverage is also about those overnight direct ferry routes from Ireland connecting the north-western French ports in Brittany and Normandy.

Due to the seasonality of these routes to Europe, the ferry scene may be in the majority running between February to November, however by no means does this lessen operator competition.

Noting there have been plans over the years to run a direct Irish –Iberian ferry service, which would open up existing and develop new freight markets. Should a direct service open, it would bring new opportunities also for holidaymakers, where Spain is the most visited country in the EU visited by Irish holidaymakers ... heading for the sun!