Waterway Patrollers were employed when the Shannon-Erne Waterway opened in 1994 to assist the free movement of boats up and down the navigation. The patrollers day begins at 9am moving between locks instructing users about the lock operating system, facilitating boat passages, checking water levels in the system, checking life-saving equipment, inspecting locks and amenity areas, and helping boaters who need assistance, finishing at 8pm some days. Over the winter the waterway patrollers work with operational colleagues in the maintenance and improvements to the waterway, ensuring high standards are maintained.
Paddy Deane works for Waterways Ireland as a Waterway Patroller on the Shannon-Erne Waterway. He began working as a patroller in 1994 with OPW having worked on the construction of the canal for three years prior to this. When asked if he enjoys working on the Shannon-Erne Paddy said ‘I have lived beside the Shannon-Erne all my life and I love working there, I enjoy coming to work every morning.’ He goes on to say ‘I enjoy meeting the boaters, especially those who come back each year, one gentleman in particular from Germany has been back every year since 1994.’
The locks are open from 9am to 8pm and lock cards are available at a number of locations including Lock 1 and Lock 16, the Waterway Patrollers and shops along the way. Please contact Waterways Ireland on 00353 (0) 7196 50562 for further information on the Shannon-Erne Waterway.
The Shannon-Erne Waterway is one of seven waterways under the remit of Waterways Ireland. Waterways Ireland also manages, maintains, restores and develops the Erne System, the Barrow Navigation, the Lower Bann, the Royal Canal, the Grand Canal and the Shannon Navigation. Over 380 people are employed in this North/South body which is funded by the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs in the South and the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure in the North.
