Several days after April Fool’s Day, this story turned up in the Indo:
Plans for the reintroduction of Guinness barges on the River Liffey have moved a step forward with the Irish Ship and Barge Fabrication Company now applying for permission to attach a pontoon to one of the city’s boardwalks. Back in January, the company applied for permission to erect floating pontoons to allow for the Guinness barges to once more glide up and down the Liffey.
The barges are to be resurrected from the ocean floor off the coast of Northern Ireland where they had been scuttled. Refitted, they will offer cruises , drinks and coffee up and down the Liffey from Smithfield to the Point Theatre. A new floating pontoon is planned for Ormond Quay Lower between the Millennium Bridge and the Ha’penny Bridge.
The article goes on to raise an eyebrow, suggesting that “the planner is obviously enthusiastic, lauding this imaginative and dynamic proposal, which will further contribute to the consolidation and regeneration of Dublin’s city centre — in particular the north inner city — as an attractive destination to visit”, and goes on to quote a UCD study which stated that “the empty river is not dead, only sleeping. It is occasionally awakened”.
Irish Independent: A pint of plain sailing »
So, are they taking the piss, or what?
Over on Archiseek, yerman writes
The Vartry liess half sunk west of the breakwater at the entrance to the flood gates at Toomebridge, the Slaney lies in the Queens gap on the lower Bann and the Boyne is part of the harbour wall at Toome Bay. The Chapelizod and Castleknock, where blown up by the IRA in the ’70’s. The Clonsilla sank in a storm and lives in 70 feet of water, The Foyle is half buried in sand at the mouth of the Crumlin River, The Lagan forms part of the Quay at Sandy Bay The Kilkenny is off Ballyginniff, as part of a breakwater
Of the boats that did not go to Lough Neagh the Shannon was wrecked off Balbriggan. The Suir, went to work on the River Slaney, and the Moy to the river Suir,
There are three other Farmleigh boats near Waterford. Two were sunk in the mouth of the Kilkenny Blackwater. The third is still afloat at Fastnet Shipping
See “Cool Metal – Clear Water” published by The Heritge Boat Assoc and Waterways Ireland
Watch this space…
The Guinness Boats »
Where are the barges now? »
