#EngineersWeek - Demand was high for Waterways Ireland’s events during Engineers Week 2017, with 200 primary and post-primary pupils taking part in free site visits and workshops offered at the agency’s headquarters in Enniskillen.

​Pupils from Florencecourt PS, Moat PS, Jones Memorial PS, St Mary's PS Mullymesker, Ballinamallard PS, St Mary's PS Enniskillen, Tattygar PS and St Joseph's College met Waterways Ireland engineering staff who led them through a series of workshops including bridge building, making floating and fixed jetties, marshmallow and straw tower challenges and understanding the Archimedes screw.
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​A further 130 school children attended events at Monasterevin Lock & Lifting Bridge in Kildare and Portumna Bridge in Galway.

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Waterways Ireland says feedback from schools has been “very positive” with many expressing interest in attending future educational events to inspire the next generation of engineers.

Engineers Week took place from 4-10 March and is a programme of nationwide events with the aim of celebrating the world of engineering in Ireland.

The theme for 2017 was ‘Engineering Our Future’, aimed at igniting the imaginations of the next generation of engineers.

Engineers Week is co-ordinated by Engineers Ireland and is a platform to highlight engineering as a career and recognise the importance of the continually evolving engineering profession. The event is an ideal opportunity to showcase the positive contribution made by Waterways Ireland to local communities.

There are a range of engineering professionals, including civil and mechanical engineers and technicians working within Waterways Ireland.

The projects carried out on all seven of its inland waterways are wide and varied, from navigation operation, maintenance and development and structural design to project management, fleet management, development and maintenance of electro-hydraulically operated lock gates and accompanying smart card system, and much more.

Each year Waterways Ireland engineers share their expertise by giving presentations and hosting site visits with local school groups, which book up well in advance.

For the first time a St Patrick’s Day Parade has picked the Inland Waterways as the Parade theme. The IWAI has congratulated the Tullamore Parade Committee on their choice.
By selecting this theme the Parade will highlight the importance of Offaly’s Inland Waterways to the communities through which they flow. In addition to showcasing a variety of water-based activity, the Parade theme will also encourage participants to display their interpretation of the history of these Waterways. Secretary of the Parade Committee Sean O'Brien captures this feeling noting that;

“The Grand Canal has been flowing through Offaly for over 200 years and it has had a significant influence on the business, cultural, heritage and leisure life of the County and its Towns. This is a great opportunity to celebrate this impact and this great facility and we hope that many more people will use the facility over the coming years."

The IWAI has been extended a great honour with an invitation to the President John Dolan to act as Grand Marshall for the Parade. The Tullamore Parade is well-established with over 1,500 participants and up to 10,000 onlookers. While the Parade itself starts at 11.30a.m, proceedings get underway at approx. 10:30am. A flotilla will ferry the dignitaries from Bolands Lock House to the Tullamore Dew Heritage Centre. This flotilla will include members of the Tullamore Canoe Club, the Offaly Rowing Club and the IWAI Offaly Branch. Floats in the Parade will feature the IWAI Offaly Big Bolinder Engine and a variety of vessels including a 13 metre four man rowing boat, a speed boat and a powerboat.

County Offaly is a haven for Inland Waterways and includes lakes, rivers & canals. The Grand Canal, stretching from near Edenderry to Shannon Harbour, winds its way timelessly through the countryside. On reaching Shannon Harbour, one enters onto the mighty River Shannon whose waters form the natural border between Galway & Offaly. From above Meelick in the south of the County towards Athlone in the North, Offaly’s Shannon Waterways boast many treasures including the religious, cultural & historically significant site of Clonmacnoise

#Rowing: Waterways Ireland presented prizes to winning crews after the successful Erne Head of the River on Saturday in Enniskillen. Trinity were the best overall club at the event, while local club Enniskillen Royal Boat Club had the top junior women’s and junior men’s eights.

 The chief executive of Waterways Ireland, Dawn Livingstone, said: “I am delighted to support the Erne Head of The River through the Waterways Ireland Event Programme. Sport and recreation on and along the waterways is growing strongly – 30 extra crews came to the event today.  We hope to continue to work with Rowing Ireland to see that growth replicated across the waterways through 2017 and into the future.”

 The Waterways Ireland head office is sited in Enniskillen.

Waterways Ireland is celebrating Seachtain Na Gaeilge 2017, an international Irish language festival again this year, by offering free school tours ás gaeilge from the Waterways Ireland Centre, in Grand Canal Dock, Dublin on 10th March.

Seachtain Na Gaeilge is one of the biggest celebrations of native language and culture taking place each year in Ireland and worldwide. Gaeilgeoir Cormac MacCashin will lead tours around Grand Canal Quay enthralling school groups with his knowledge of the waterways.

Participants will hear about why we need Locks and Docks, waterways heritage, the biodiversity of the canal ecosystem and how a Lock operates, as well as an exciting treasure hunt.

Trips are fully booked for this year events but dates will be available for school tours in the Summer and Autumn terms. Enquiries can be made to [email protected].

Waterways Ireland 2017 Event Programme welcomes applications from event organisers for events taking place on or along the waterways. Formerly called the Sponsorship Programme in 2017, Waterways Ireland Event Programme is seeking applications for sustainable events and activity in waterway and waterside communities.

Taking place annually for the past 11 years the Programme has supported competitions, learning experiences, community, historical and educational events for people with and without disabilities across 1000's of communities nationwide. Involving angling, canoeing, rowing, sailing and power-sports, arts, history, drama, learning new skills, these events have most importantly been about having fun.

Sharon Lavin, Head of Marketing and Communications with Waterways Ireland stated that “The Waterways Ireland Events Programme supports 100's of community events. The new vision for the Event Programme will activate event organisers to consider how they can build in ongoing activity and sustained use of the waterways corridors into their event. Tourism & participation in recreation has a social and economic impact in waterfront communities, and events are a great way to engage communities with previously under-utilised waterways."

For the first time, applications can now be made online. The application form and guidance notes can be viewed, and completed online at https://eventsprogramme.waterwaysireland.org . Terms and conditions apply. The closing date the receipt of completed applications is 17th January 2017.

Waterways Ireland is the Recreation and Navigation Authority for the Barrow Navigation, Erne System, Grand Canal, Lower Bann Navigation, Royal Canal, Shannon-Erne Waterway and the Shannon Navigation.

Waterways Ireland has welcomed the announcement by Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Heather Humphreys, TD, of €842,000 funding under the REDZ (Rural Economic Development Zones) initiative, which will stimulate economic development along rural waterways, Blueways and their hinterlands. The contribution to communities across the waterway corridors is highly significant as the development of high quality assets provide a suitable platform for development of new businesses, employment and growth all of which will impact on quality of life and recreational opportunities in waterway communities.

Under the 2016 REDZ scheme, just over €5.3 million was approved for 41 projects of which 8 were Local Authority-led projects impacting on the wider waterway network; from Bagnelstown on the Barrow to Banagher on the Shannon and Scarriff/Nenagh on Lough Derg, to Ballinamore on the Shannon-Erne Waterway.

Announcing the funding, Minister Humphreys said “The REDZ scheme aims to improve links between rural towns and their hinterlands to stimulate activity at a local level. It is one of a number of schemes which my Department has been rolling out to boost economic activity and improve living standards across rural Ireland."

Dawn Livingstone, Chief Executive, Waterways Ireland stated " We look forward to working with the Local Authorities in the future including the County Councils in Carlow, Westmeath, Tipperary, Clare, Galway, Longford and Leitrim in the further development of assets, including the Blueways initiative, that will draw both local people and tourists to experience the unique and special communities along our navigations."

The projects that successfully received funding along the waterways corridors include:
€100,000 Bagnelstown, Carlow: Enhancement of Tourism potential using a multi-centre approach in Co Carlow
€50,000 Banagher, Offaly: Enhance town around marina
€96,000 Westmeath: Blueways and Greenways unlocking potential in the Athlone Municipal District
€96,000 Westmeath: The Royal Canal Cycleway Extension in the Mullingar Municipal District (Royal Canal to Lough Owel Amenity Area)
€100,000 Longford: Corlea Walking Route
€100,000 Clones, Monaghan: Greenway, car park
€100,000 Ballinamore, Leitrim: Assist towards the development of an Angling Centre
€200,000 Scarriff/Nenagh Clare: Scoping, Developing, Marketing & promoting the Lough Derg Blueway.

#InlandWaters - Waterways Ireland has launched its 2017 Heritage in the Community Grants Programme in support of the Waterways Ireland Heritage Plan 2016-2020.

The Waterways Ireland Heritage Plan provides, for the first time, a strategic framework for the integration of built, natural and cultural heritage into the future management of our inland waterways.

A fund of €20,000 has been allocated to assist community-based heritage projects which compliment or fulfil the delivery of the Waterways Ireland Heritage Plan along the Barrow Navigation, Erne System, Grand Canal, Lower Bann, Royal Canal, Shannon Navigation, Shannon-Erne Waterway and the Ulster Canal (Upper Lough Erne to Clones).

Applications will be considered from communities, individuals and organisations seeking assistance for projects related to inland waterways heritage.

This can include data collection and research; good heritage practice in managing sites, collections, etc; and support fresh approaches and initiatives that promote active engagement with heritage.

The application form is available from the Waterways Ireland website. The deadline for receipt of completed applications is 31 January 2017 whether by email or post.​

A range of criteria will be used to assess the applications, including how well the project compliments or fulfils an action of the Waterways Ireland Heritage Plan 2016-2020, the extent to which proposed activities benefit local heritage, the level of innovation and the capacity of applicants to carry out the proposed project.

Some types of support will not be considered under the Waterways Ireland's Heritage Grant Scheme. The application form and guidelines should be reviewed for clear information on project eligibility. Only one grant per organisation is permitted. Grants up to €1,500 (£1,200) are available.

Contact Cormac McCarthy at +353 (0)61 922 149, +353 (0)87 278 7463 or at [email protected] for any queries relating to the grants scheme.

Waterways Ireland welcomed members of the Destination Fermanagh Industry Group on their recent visit to the Shannon Blueway in Co Leitrim. Private and public sector members of the group visited this latest Waterways Ireland award-winning innovation and met the development and marketing teams as well as local businesses that have started up or grown around the Blueway.

Welcomed by Waterways Ireland's Regional Manager Éanna Rowe and Director of Business Development, John Boyle, the visit began with an information session in the Lough Allen Hotel. Boats provided by Leitrim Quay were used to take the group from Drumshanbo to Acres Lake, where they toured the site and the new visitor centre and then onto to Drumleague. From Drumleague the group walked, used bikes provided by local business Electric Bike Trails or stayed on board the Leitrim Quay boats all the way to Battlebridge.

In Battlebridge the group toured the lock and lock-keepers house before crossing the river to Battlebridge Glamping where they enjoyed a tour of the site and the pods and walked into Leitrim village to have lunch in The Barge.

Eddie Mc Govern, Tourism Development Officer for Fermanagh & Omagh District Council said "it gave me a totally different perspective of an area, that I thought I knew very well. It's beautiful and cycling along the canal (even in the rain) showed the potential of the area. Those electric bikes are so good ".

John Boyle Waterways Ireland, commenting on the visit said "Waterways Ireland have developed and led the Blueways initiative across our waterway network as we believe in its potential to activate significantly increased recreational and tourism use of the waterway corridors. The visit of Destination Fermanagh members is important to grow awareness of this award-winning initiative, and to provide a deeper understanding of how working together, a Blueways initiative on the Erne system could deliver more visitors to Fermanagh".

Progress is continuing on this collaborative approach to Blueway development on Lough Erne.

#InlandWaters - Waterways Ireland completed the first week of its pilot 'Water Project' for post-primary schools last Friday 30 September.

Ninety students and teachers from four second-level schools in Co Fermanagh are engaged in water-based learning activities on Lough Erne as part of the two-week pilot educational project which concludes tomorrow (Friday 7 October).

Pupils and teachers from St Fanchea's College, St Aidan's High School, Devenish College and St Joseph's College undertook the two-day programme at Waterways Ireland's headquarters in Enniskillen, where they took part in biodiversity workshops and discovered some of the many fascinating water-based creatures, birds and aquatic plants that exist along the shoreline of Lough Erne.

They also rowed a 33ft currach in the Bronze Age style, and learned the techniques of angling, before diving into kayaking and a heritage workshop in Fermanagh Castle Museum earlier this week.

Initial feedback from both students and teachers has been positive, according to Waterways Ireland, which adds that at the end of the two-week pilot all feedback from partners and participants will be gathered to inform an evaluation report and future development of the project in the months ahead.

​The Water Project has been developed and implemented in partnership with Row the Erne; Erne Paddlers; Inland Fisheries (DAERA) and the National Coarse Fishing Federation of Ireland; Fermanagh Castle Museum; RSPB and the Ulster Wildlife Trust.
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​Waterways Ireland has ongoing educational work with primary schools centred on the waterways. The Water Project aims to promote awareness and knowledge of the importance of Lough Erne and access to its many recreational activity opportunities for secondary students.

Waterways Ireland has successfully completed the first week of an innovative pilot 'Water Project' for post-primary schools on the 30th September 2106. 90 students and teachers from four second level schools in Co Fermanagh engaged in water based learning activities on Lough Erne as part of the two week pilot educational project which runs until 7th October.

The 'Water Project' has been developed and implemented in partnership with Row the Erne; Erne Paddlers; Inland Fisheries (DAERA) and the National Coarse Fishing Federation of Ireland; Fermanagh Castle Museum; RSPB and the Ulster Wildlife Trust. Waterways Ireland has ongoing educational work with primary schools centred on the waterways. This 'Water Project' has enabled Waterways Ireland to work with these partners to realise shared goals, promoting awareness and knowledge of the importance of Lough Erne and access to its many recreational activity opportunities for secondary level students.

Pupils and teachers from St. Fanchea's College, St Aidan's High School, Devenish College and St. Joseph's College undertook the two day programme at Waterways Ireland's headquarters in Enniskillen. The students took part in biodiversity workshops where they discovered some of the many fascinating water based creatures, birds and aquatic plants that exist along the shoreline of Lough Erne. They rowed a 33ft Bronze Age style currach, and also learnt the techniques of Angling. Week 2 students commencing on 4th October will have a different series of activities, including kayaking, biodiversity workshops and a heritage workshop in Fermanagh Castle Museum.

Initial feedback from both students and teachers on the success of 'The Water Project' has been hugely positive. At the end of the two week pilot all the feedback from partners and participants will be gathered to inform an evaluation report and future development of the project in the months ahead.