industrialheritageireland.info

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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I have moved the page for the Blackwood Feeder of the Grand Canal to the IH Wiki and deleted the WordPress page for this feature.

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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I have added a page to the IH Wiki for Bagenalstown Station in Co. Carlow.

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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Recently I sent a Letter to the Editor to the Irish Times which unfortunately did not see it fit for publication. It struck me, that were my proposal to be adopted, Clones would not need the economic stimulus that is alleged will come from the current WI proposal. The letter I sent is repeated below:

In light of the forthcoming increase in VAT mandated by the Reichstag – sorry, our friends in Europe – is now not the time to stem the flow of cross border shoppers by fully signing up to a provision of European Union policy that we have not fully implemented. After all, we are but a colony of Germany at this stage. The provision in question is Schengen. Whilst I accept that this will cause a certain amount of inconvenience to people travelling to Britain, the imposition of border controls and passport checks on the M1 would stem the flow of VAT exiles into Northern Ireland.

To make such a policy a success, the Government will also need to build a Berlin style wall around Northern Ireland, thereby creating a construction jobs led boom in the border counties and, to ensure that the flow of VAT exiles is complete, we will need to bring our driving in line with that of our European saviours by driving on the right. This will, of course, require a stop/go system on all roads across the border as traffic will need to switch from right to left and vice versa.

To complete the job, the mandatory fitting of tacographs to all cars to allow for an environmental tax whenever a car engine is idling as it waits to enter the driving side switchover zone will lead to economic boom in the Republic, the likes of which have never been seen before.

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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I was at a book launch this evening of "The Goodbodys - Millers, Merchants and Manufacturers" in the Quaker House in Rathfarnham.

Personally, I don't drink, I live simply, speak plainly and believe in fair dealings in business. Except for the fact that I don't believe in God, I would be a Quaker.

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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Kilmacanogue History Society are hosting a talk titled "Irish Lighthouses" in The Glenview Hotel, Glen of the Downs at 8.30pm on Tuesday 6th December 2011. Entry is €3 (€2 for members) and all are welcome.

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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