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Displaying items by tag: Great Canal Journeys

#HistoricShips - One of Liverpool’s most significant historic vessels will have a more secure future thanks to a donation from the the operator of the UK north-west port, the Peel Ports Group.

The safeguarding of the steam-powered former tug Daniel Adamson, featuring art-deco interiors, is for the next three years thanks to the donation of £75,000.

According to Peel Ports, the Daniel Adamson Preservation Society (DAPS) – is a volunteer group which led the £5m restoration project of the ‘Daniel Adamson’ Steam tug-tender, and with the investment from the port operator will benefit towards a long-term legacy project committed to teaching others about the vessel and its rich ties to the area.

The vessel built in 1903, affectionately known as the ‘Danny’, is the oldest surviving steam-powered tug to be built on the Mersey. Design of the tug was custom-built to tow the long strings of barges from the inland towns of Cheshire. From there the tug conveyed cargoes to and from the Potteries to the Port of Liverpool.

As mentioned in the news recently is the Cammell Laird shipyard in Birkenhead, where the Danny was acquired by the Manchester Ship Canal Company in 1921.  The tug was used to transport visiting VIPs around Manchester’s famous inland docks and along the ship canal.

In more recent times, the veteran vessel was earmarked for scrap in 2004, at which point the DAPS was formed to save this unique tug. 

Published in Historic Boats

#InlandWaters - The waters of the Lough Allen canal, Lough Erne and the Shannon-Erne Waterway will feature in the new series of Channel 4's Great Canal Journeys.

Presenters Tim West and Prunella Scales filmed in the area in July 2015, beginning their journey in Drumshanbo, and between music sessions, poetry and hyrdoelectric locks, they tried everything on the trip up the canal and out onto Lough Erne where they visited islands, homes and castles.

The series starts this coming Sunday (25 October), and the Irish episode will be broadcast at 8pm on Sunday 8 November on Channel 4, with catch-up available later via the channel's on-demand service All4.

Published in Inland Waterways

Irish Sailing

The Irish Sailing Association, also known as Irish Sailing, is the national governing body for sailing, powerboating and windsurfing in Ireland.

Founded in 1945 as the Irish Dinghy Racing Association, it became the Irish Yachting Association in 1964 and the Irish Sailing Association in 1992.

Irish Sailing is a Member National Authority (MNA) of World Sailing and a member of the Olympic Federation of Ireland.

The Association is governed by a volunteer board, elected by the member clubs. Policy Groups provide the link with members and stakeholders while advising the Board on specialist areas. There is a professional administration and performance staff, based at the headquarters in Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin.

Core functions include the regulation of sailing education, administering racing and selection of Irish sailors for international competition. It is the body recognised by the Olympic Federation of Ireland for nominating Irish qualified sailors to be considered for selection to represent Ireland at the Olympic Games. Irish sailors have medalled twice at the Olympics – David Wilkins and Jamie Wikinson at the 1980 games, and Annalise Murphy at the 2016 games.

The Association, through its network of clubs and centres, offers curriculum-based training in the various sailing, windsurfing and powerboating disciplines. Irish Sailing qualifications are recognised by Irish and European Authorities. Most prominent of these are the Yachtmaster and the International Certificate of Competency.

It runs the annual All-Ireland Championships (formerly the Helmsman’s Championship) for senior and junior sailors.

The Association has been led by leading lights in the sailing and business communities. These include Douglas Heard, Clayton Love Junior, John Burke and Robert Dix.

Close to 100 sailors have represented Ireland at the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Membership of Irish Sailing is either by direct application or through membership of an affiliated organisation. The annual membership fee ranges from €75 for families, down to €20 for Seniors and Juniors.