Fáilte Ireland may contribute €1.7m to canal development

Showers and toilets may be provided by Failte Ireland to enhance a major new €1.7 million development of Killaloe Canal, a local engineer has revealed.

Water polo and kayaking regularly take place upstream of a new lock being constructed by Waterways Ireland and there are positive indications that Fáilte Ireland will provide finance for a shower and toilet block nearby.
Waterways Ireland senior engineer, Theron Robson told The Clare Champion that a new service facility could be built near the lock thanks to funding, which is expected to be provided by Failte Ireland.
Waterways Ireland are constructing a new wall with sheet piling at the inside of the wall to reinforcing the structure and providing a 420m walkway along it.
Three access points will be provided to the floating moorings and access that go up and down with the tide. West Clare construction company L and M Keating were awarded the main contract, worth €1,512,255. In addition 250m of main moorings and 50m of extra finger moorings for small boats will be provided at a cost of €200,000.
These serviced accessible mooring will provide spaces for about 30 vessels. Most of the vessels using the new facility would tie up on the Ballina side, outside Molly’s bar. Hired boats are not allowed under the bridge.
The main new addition is a major lock chamber to control the flow running into the canal, reduce erosion potential including fish passes. An old disused boathouse will also be demolished.
When the boats want to come up to the Scariff side of the river, the lock will be card reader operated with electric sensors, which will open allowing the vessels to pass through before it automatically closes.
A lock chamber is normally used to regulate changes in depth such as the 100 foot drop in Ardnacrusha but the unit in Killaloe, which is regarded as unusual for a mooring facility will control the flow of the water for vessels entering and leaving the area. It will also act as a bridge between the walkway and the footpath.
The provision of a more accessible walkway, clad with hardwood timber, over the gates facilitates a looped walk for pedestrians along the canal and on to the canal footpath on the existing wall.
This footpath will be resurfaced providing a six-foot wide platform with friction grip spacing to facilitate safe passage for pedestrians. Drainage will also be improved as there will be no water run-off from the footpath.
The overall project been designed by Joe McMahon, senior engineer, Enniskillen office.
During the summer season, boats will be able to use the new moorings for five days before they will be required under byelaws to move on. In winter, registered vessels can moor for a few months free of charge.
Mr Robson explained that vessels which were previously moored in what was effectively a harbour, as it was closed off, will no longer be able to remain indefinitely as this stretch of the canal has now been transformed into a regulated live navigation area.
He warned people will no longer be able to “dump” old vessels in this section of the canal, which will be monitored regularly by Waterways Ireland inspectors.
He outlined the main chamber walls were tested this week while the flow gates arrive later this month. He said a coffer dam was constructed to allow the engineers drain the localised area about 25 metres. It is expected the water level will be dropped about half a metre to facilitate fixings.
“You are effectively working in water coming from four sides. It was hard to get a reasonable seal in the coffer dam. As soon as we had tested the lock chamber for its seal, we can start removing the coffer dam,” he said.
L and M Keating also provided the new structure for Portumna bridge, where they cut out the existing section and craned in a whole new bridge section, which swivels left to open and needs less power compared to the previous, which had to be lifted vertically.
Site manager, Sean Killeen noted the overall work was delayed for about four weeks as it was too cold to set concrete during the sub-zero temperatures over the Christmas period.