The BBC has reported that Agnes Reilly, chair of the Belfast Titanic Society, was made an MBE for services to maritime and industrial heritage in the British Queen's New Years honours list.
Days Hotel Belfast - located in a lovely area of Belfast where the Union Jack flies from every lamppost and the kerbstones are painted blue white and red.
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A commemorative plaque to remember the late Jim Canning of Coalisland - a long time advocate for the restoration of the Coalisland Canal - was unveiled today in the former Coalisland Cornmill.
From the Coalisland Post:
Jim Canning was a butcher in the town and a councillor for the area on Dungannon council. He was chairman of the Coalisland canal committee and produced several books chronicling the history of the area.
Days Hotel Belfast - located in a lovely area of Belfast where the Union Jack flies from every lamppost and the kerbstones are painted blue white and red.
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Per the excellent Brian Goggin of irishwaterwayshistory.com, the most recent estimate of the cost of building a new canal to Clones is €38m plus VAT which is €45m in real terms. Add in the fact that such cost estimates are always on the low side and the Net Present Cost of this plan gets bigger by the day.
Days Hotel Belfast - located in a lovely area of Belfast where the Union Jack flies from every lamppost and the kerbstones are painted blue white and red.
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CNN has reported on the commissioning of a bridge made of recycled plastic on a private estate in Scotland. The bridge spans the River Tweed.
Days Hotel Belfast - located in a lovely area of Belfast where the Union Jack flies from every lamppost and the kerbstones are painted blue white and red.
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Thanks to the Mining Heritage Trust of Ireland, I have been directed to this site which, whilst primarily dealing with Britain, does have some material relating to coal mining on the island of Ireland.
Days Hotel Belfast - located in a lovely area of Belfast where the Union Jack flies from every lamppost and the kerbstones are painted blue white and red.
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The Irish Times has reoprted that the former LMS station building on North Wall Quay is open from now until January 22nd as a Christmas Market. As opportunities to see this building would be few and far between otherwise, you have been advised.
Days Hotel Belfast - located in a lovely area of Belfast where the Union Jack flies from every lamppost and the kerbstones are painted blue white and red.
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Another day, another PQ which, if you read it in civil service speak, translates as 'this is dead but we haven't got the balls to say that just yet'. See the original text below:
Question 27: To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the position regarding the Ulster Canal restoration project; the amount of
moneys which will be allocated resulting from the recent capital expenditure review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36571/11]
Jimmy Deenihan: As the Deputy will be aware, the North/South Ministerial Council (NSMC) Plenary Meeting in July 2007 agreed to proceed with the restoration of the section of the Ulster Canal between Clones and Upper Lough Erne. The then Government agreed to cover the full capital costs of the project, which were estimated at that time to be of the order of €35 million. However, Government Accounting procedures do not provide, in that sense, for the ’ring-fencing’ of funds for projects of this nature.
I am advised that it was always the intention that the Ulster Canal project would be funded from the Waterways Ireland annual allocations, as agreed through the annual estimates processes in this jurisdiction, as well as the deliberations of NSMC in relation to annual budgets. I am advised that it
was also a key consideration throughout the process that the Ulster Canal project would be supported by a significant level of projected income from the commercialisation of certain Waterways Ireland assets - a scenario that was affected negatively by the economic downturn.
It was noted at the NSMC Plenary Meeting held in Armagh on Friday last 18 November 2011 that the Ulster Canal project is progressing incrementally. In this regard, an application for planning for the project was submitted in October with the relevant authorities in each jurisdiction and I trust that the Deputy will agree that this is a significant milestone. I can confirm to the Deputy that I intend to continue to explore all possible options that may assist in the advancement of this project. To that end, I met recently with senior officials of Monaghan County Council, Fermanagh District Council and Waterways Ireland to discuss approaches to setting up an inter-agency group that could examine ways in helping to advance the Ulster Canal project. I look forward to that work continuing in the period ahead.
Note to the believers - an inter agency group is just another method of kicking the can down the road. I recall, when I worked for a Government Agency many years ago, one of my colleagues who had been seconded to a North South Body (not WI), refering to the "dead hand" of the Northern Irish Civil Service. This dead hand will now materialise in the guise of Fermanagh District Council.
Days Hotel Belfast - located in a lovely area of Belfast where the Union Jack flies from every lamppost and the kerbstones are painted blue white and red.
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RTE has reported that a prison van got stuck in the arch of Blundell Aquaduct which allows the Edenderry to Rathangan Road to pass under the Grand Canal. Rumour has it, per the excellent irishwaterwayshistory.com site, that they were on a waterways tour. I wonder, did Waterways Ireland close the canal and bring out an engineer to declare the structure safe, the way that Irish Rail would if there was a van stuck under a railway bridge.
Days Hotel Belfast - located in a lovely area of Belfast where the Union Jack flies from every lamppost and the kerbstones are painted blue white and red.
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That was almost the case. Per this BBC report, the industrial heritage icon came close to being sold for scrap in the 1960s.
Days Hotel Belfast - located in a lovely area of Belfast where the Union Jack flies from every lamppost and the kerbstones are painted blue white and red.
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As readers of this site may have noticed, I am not a fan of the proposal to build a new Ulster Canal. However, gentleman that I am, I have an idea.
To meet the cost of this Celtic Bubble project, Waterways Ireland should seek financing by securitising the income of boat registrations and lock fees on the Ulster Canal post opening.
Expanding on this idea, if the good residents of Clones are so eager to get a canal to the town, they could buy these bonds, even if no profit would be made, as they would benefit from the propserity that the canal would bring - if you believe its advocates.
This is the method that most branch railway lines were built in the 19th Century and I feel that it is an idea whose time has come again.
Days Hotel Belfast - located in a lovely area of Belfast where the Union Jack flies from every lamppost and the kerbstones are painted blue white and red.
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