Restoration in Ireland

[Bill P]

I wondered if anyone has experience of using Irish waterways? Has anyone gone to length of transporting their boat to Ireland?! Probably best not to attempt a crossing of the Irish Sea.

 

More generally, I have been looking at the restoration projects going on in the North such as the Ulster Canal. There is a real gem coming along and what appears to be a concerted effort to join Lough Neagh and Lough Erne and relink Ulster to the Shannon waterways. A 600 mile journey through Ireland - what's not to like? What surprises me is that the level of local interest in these projects seems to be so relatively small. Maybe I'm wrong but the potential doesn't seem to have caught local imagination and attracted enthusiasts in the way that it does in Britain.

[ditchcrawler]

7 minutes ago, Bill P said:

I wondered if anyone has experience of using Irish waterways? Has anyone gone to length of transporting their boat to Ireland?! Probably best not to attempt a crossing of the Irish Sea.

 

More generally, I have been looking at the restoration projects going on in the North such as the Ulster Canal. There is a real gem coming along and what appears to be a concerted effort to join Lough Neagh and Lough Erne and relink Ulster to the Shannon waterways. A 600 mile journey through Ireland - what's not to like? What surprises me is that the level of local interest in these projects seems to be so relatively small. Maybe I'm wrong but the potential doesn't seem to have caught local imagination and attracted enthusiasts in the way that it does in Britain.

The Tuesday Night club Nb Earnest has been over and back  http://www.tuesdaynightclub.co.uk/Tour_08/Index.html

Edited December 20, 2019 by ditchcrawler
added link

[TheBiscuits]

4 hours ago, Bill P said:

Probably best not to attempt a crossing of the Irish Sea.

Paging @Alan de Enfield who recently moved his boat one of his boats to Anglesey ...

Edited December 21, 2019 by TheBiscuits
accuracy!

[Derek R.]

I can recommend Rolt's book 'Green & Silver'.

http://www.ltcrolt.org.uk/books/green_and_silver.htm

[rgreg]

There's an excellent article here:

https://www.iwai.ie/bringing-you-boat-to-ireland/

[magpie patrick]

The Ulster Canal has got stuck, the first detailed studies were in 1997 (I worked on them) but little has happened. It is technically more difficult than the Royal and the Shannon-Erne and crosses the border several times, which was an issue in 1997 and likely to become one again soon. 

 

Another issue was, and presumably still is, that the leisure market on the Shannon and Erne was well developed before restoration, whereas it isn't in the north.

 

It would be great to see it don'e though...

[Dav and Pen]

We took our narrow boat to Ireland and stayed over there for 2 years. We had it picked up from Calcut and put in the Grand canal at Salins. We used an Irish haulier who also had a crane at the other side. We based ourselves at Shannon Harbour and cruised the Shannon, the Shannon Erne canal and loch Erne itself. Also the R. Barrow and all the offshoots of the Shannon itself. Our boat was 50 ft long and had a lister HB2 engine which was powerful enough. The big lakes need some care and a close watch on the weather especially the wind strength as some big waves are soon wiped up.

After one particularly rocky crossing of Loch Alan we decided that narrow boats are not ideal over there and went to Holland to buy a small Tjalk but finished up with a 22 meter barge and stayed on the continent.

We really enjoyed our time in Ireland, the Irish boaters where great company and the singing and pubs brilliant

Looking a bit lost on Loch Erne

[Bill P]

How do you mean 'rocky'? Is that a classic understatement?

[Dav and Pen]

I have just looked up my old log book and the worst trip we had was actually in Lock Key. We came out of the lock in company with a cruiser and after clearing the protecting headland came out into the lake to find big waves broadside on. Even heavy old narrow boats like Thor can really roll. I decided that it was to risky to try and turn round so continued to where we were going which was behind an island. When we got moored up the guy on the cruiser came and said “I was going to turn round but followed you because thought you knew what you were doing”! 
Don’t want to put anybody off but you need to be patient and not try to beat the weather. Loch Ree is 20 miles across and takes over 3 hours in which time weather conditions can change.

[GUMPY]

1 hour ago, Dav and Pen said:

I have just looked up my old log book and the worst trip we had was actually in Lock Key. We came out of the lock in company with a cruiser and after clearing the protecting headland came out into the lake to find big waves broadside on. Even heavy old narrow boats like Thor can really roll. I decided that it was to risky to try and turn round so continued to where we were going which was behind an island. When we got moored up the guy on the cruiser came and said “I was going to turn round but followed you because thought you knew what you were doing”! 
Don’t want to put anybody off but you need to be patient and not try to beat the weather. Loch Ree is 20 miles across and takes over 3 hours in which time weather conditions can change.

So you are the Dave in the IWAI linked article above

 

[Dav and Pen]

Yes indeed I had forgotten about that article. I joined the IWAI whilst we were there and went to their rallies which were both campaigning and great fun. 

[Bill P]

13 hours ago, Derek R. said:

I can recommend Rolt's book 'Green & Silver'.

http://www.ltcrolt.org.uk/books/green_and_silver.htm

Just bought it

[mark99]

I remembered crossing Lough Derg (not in a NB) and thinking even the big island could have a lake on it.