Annual Accounts for the year ending 31st December 2007

Chapter 3
Managing and Maintaining the Waterways
North Shannon
On the North Shannon, substantial improvement works were carried out to
Clarendon Lock Access Road, Lough Key, Co Roscommon, including the replacement
of a culvert, to provide improved access. Refurbishment works were also commenced
to Tarmonbarry Lock House with completion scheduled for 2008. At both Roosky
Lock House and Clondra Lock, Co Longford, ducting was laid under the access road
to provide water, telephone and electricity connections. Safety Barrier Skirts were
attached to the lifting bridges at Tarmonbarry and Roosky, and air draft gauges erected
both at Tarmonbarry lifting Bridge and the N55 Road Bridge over the River Camlin at
Clondra, Co Longford.
On the Lough Allen Canal, Co Leitrim, the footpath to the upper jetty at Drumleague
Lock was extended and a retaining wall constructed. Other maintenance projects
completed on the North Shannon included leakage prevention from lock gates and
repairs to gate sluices at Battlebridge Lock, works at Jamestown sluices and major tree
trimming.
South Shannon
On the South Shannon, maintenance projects included navigational improvements
at Benjamin Rocks, near Williamstown Harbour on Lough Derg. This involved the
re-alignment of the navigation channel and installation of additional markers. At
Limerick, two footbridges were removed and replaced at Gully’s Lock and Hackett’s
Lock, on the Errina Plassey Canal. At Ryan’s Lock, an access ramp was installed at the
footbridge to provide improved safety.
A significant number of surveys, including topographic and hydrographic surveys,
property boundary surveys, land surveys and bridge surveys were carried out during
the year.
3.1.3 Eastern Region
The navigations in the Eastern Region are the Royal Canal, the Grand Canal and the
Barrow Navigation.
Royal Canal
The Royal Canal is currently navigable from Spencer Dock in Dublin to Ballybrannigan
Harbour in Co Longford, a distance of 122km. On completion of the current
restoration programme in 2009, boaters will be able to navigate to the Shannon
Navigation at Richmond Harbour, near Clondra, Co Longford, a distance of 146km with
46 locks.
Maintenance projects carried out in 2007 included the manufacture of new lock
gates for the 13th, 14th and 15th locks near Maynooth, Co Kildare and provision of
replacement fencing at Confey Boat house and Pike Bridge Harbour in front of Carton
House, Maynooth, Co Kildare. In Kilcock, the existing timber jetty in the harbour area
was removed and a 110m long hardwood jetty installed. New winches were installed
14
Waterways Ireland Annual Report and Accounts 2007