‘Gobsmacked’ group praise old waterway

THOUSANDS of tourists would flock to the area annually if derelict parts of an old navigation system were restored to their former glory, according to an English waterways protection society.

Nineteen people from the Inland Waterways Protection Society (IWPS) were “gobsmacked” by the wealth of heritage material along the old Limerick navigation system during a visit last weekend.
Speaking to The Clare Champion, IWPS chairman Ian Edgar said the entire system from Limerick to Killaloe had huge potential for boating, walking and recreation-related tourism, if resources were invested in opening up unused parts of the canal.
Mr Edgar said members of the group were struck by the wealth of heritage material along the old navigation system and were taken aback by what they considered “national treasures”.
The IWPS has spent over 40 years restoring the Bugsworth Basin in Derbyshire’s Peak District, where limestone was loaded on to canal boats. It was abandoned in the 1920s, about the same time as the old Limerick Navigation was closed down.
IWPS volunteers started clearing it up in the 1960s and have now reopened the Basin as a heritage and tourism attraction.
Mr Edgar proposed Limerick and Clare county councils combine resources to fast-track a programme of works, including dredging, cleaning of channels and new gates to improve accessibility to the old Limerick Navigation system.
He noted the system has a lot more natural beauty and tourist potential compared with the Bugsworth Basin, which now attracts in the region of 55,000 annually.
“Local authorities need to be educated on the tourism potential of this inland waterway. We were gobsmacked by what has been done, what is being done and what could be done to transform this waterway.
“A few information boards and amenities for walkers would make a huge difference in some places.
“With a bit of work you can develop a boating ring on the river, where a boating enthusiast can take a full circle from a particular location without seeing the same places twice,” he said.
Councillors Pat Burke and Michael Begley and Limerick County Council vice-chairman Michael Sheehan welcomed the group to O’Briensbridge on Friday night, while Mayor of Clare Christy Curtin was at the Canal Harbour in Limerick to start the group on their Saturday walk.
The first stage of the walk was along the old towing path from Limerick to Gillogue, which has a particularly rich collection of artefacts including locks, harbour buildings, arches, steps, milestones, the Black Bridge and the remains of the mill and lock at Plassey.
After lunch, the walk continued along the canal towing-path towards O’Briensbridge. Members of the lockkeepers’ families, who are still living at the locks, facilitated access to their locks and spoke to the group about the navigation, past and present.
The highlight of the afternoon was the visit to Errina Lock, which was the only triple-chambered lock in Ireland until it was converted to a double (two-chambered) lock about 200 years ago. Waterways Ireland recently cleared the lock, making it easy to see the stonework.
From Errina to O’Briensbridge, the walkers benefited from the work done by the O’Briensbridge Community Group in clearing the towing-path and restoring the arches, creating the Old Barge Way and the looped walks. They were able to look across the Shannon to the entrance of the old canal system into Macnab’s Bog, Montpelier, which used to supply the Limerick Distillery with turf.
Sunday morning sunshine allowed the group to fully appreciate the sights along the walk upriver to Parteen Villa Weir (the Hydro Dam) and back along the Headrace.
They commented on the contrast between the natural beauty of the river on one side and the severe but impressive functionalism of the weir buildings and the Headrace canal on the other side.
They drove to Killaloe to visit the market and have lunch, after which they inspected the rich collection of navigational artefacts along the canal from the marble mill past the lock and up to the Pierhead.
Waterways Ireland permitted access to the old dockyard, where the group inspected the cranes, winches, boat cradle and other equipment.
The visit ended on Monday morning with a tour of Ardnacrusha, courtesy of the ESB. After showing the film of the construction, Ger Reid led the group to view the turbine hall and the old control room.
A highlight was a visit to the lock, which is over five times deeper than the deepest British lock.
Brian Goggin of Castleconnell, who writes about Irish waterways, said, “The area around the Shannon, from the estuary up to Shannonbridge, has a huge number of sites that could attract visitors interested in industrial heritage.
“The two main themes are power from turf through hydroelectricity to natural gas and transport steamers, railways, flying-boats. There are many people, especially in Britain, who are enthusiastic about industrial archaeology, including railways and waterways, and we should aim to attract them to the region,” he said.
O’Briensbridge Community Group chairman Mick Murtagh said the IWPS visit had inspired the local community.
“ We could also identify with them and their restoration project. Initially, they received very little support from State agencies, but their determination and innovation eventually won through,” he said.