Our introduction to Irish boating was a dawdle down the Grand Canal from Ringsend Basin in Dublin in order to get to the rally at its western terminal, Shannon Harbour, at the end of June. Now, with the light closing in and a lot of boating under our belts, we felt ready for another heavy dose of socialising.  A really tidy way of ending our first ‘season’ in Ireland would have been to attend the rally planned for Ringsend Basin in late October but just the thought of all the locks, rubbish, rock chucking ‘scangers’ and the absence of a decent walk for Hobbes, had put an end to that idea. Then we heard that the rally had been moved due to the impending dredging of Dublin’s Circular Line. Somehow, Waterways Ireland (WI) had been persuaded that to make up for the disappointment caused they should ‘restore’ the  Naas branch so the rally could be held in Naas harbour.

The Naas branch runs south from Sallins to Naas, a busy Dublin commuter town, for two miles and up five locks. At the summit is an attractive harbour which, due to some good town planning, has avoided being surrounded with the ubiquitous apartment blocks.  Sadly, for the last few years, this was little visited by boats as the canal to it was all but impassable to anything wider or deeper than a narrowboat. In mid October, WI removed the calcified deposits left by years of the purest bog water running through the locks: each lock had nearly forty tons of it and it was set like rock; so set that it needed a JCB and pecker to clear it. The locks could now accommodate the Heritage Boat Association’s (HBA) ‘Heavy Metal’ fleet of ex working boats which, at 13’ wide by 60’ long, need clear locks and gates that open fully.  That they draw over 3’ meant WI also dredged and cut weed where needed. The outcome of which was the canal from Hazelhatch, where we had gone to see Eric and the puppies, to Sallins was hard work and slow, while the run up to Naas was a joy: the water was deep, the locks cleared, the paddles greased and the obvious pleasure the people of Naas took from seeing boats in the town again combined to make us wish all canal journeys were like this. Kildare IWAI branch were co-organisers and the number of boats peaked in the high thirties - not a bad turn out for the end of season.

 

Naas Harbour as it hasn't been seen in a long time.

 

 

 

Not having seen the HBA crowd since waving goodbye in the middle of Lough Ree in July, we had plenty of catching up to do. Some of this was done in and around the harbour and  the remainder involved hostelries in the town. It is a huge relief to me that, unlike some of my Scottish friends ( for whom my inability to drink ‘toe to toe’ is enough to brand the whole English nation ponces), the Irish seem to have no interest in competitive drinking - just drinking is enough. And boy can they drink: not even being plunged into darkness mid session, as happened when the whole  town took a power cut late on Saturday night, slowed them down. The extent of the crisis was the barman panicking that he could not open the electric till on what must have been one of his busier nights. To his credit not once did the flow of creamy Guinness over the bar cease. Guinness is the drink of choice for many boaters simply because without the brewery’s trade the canals would have been radically different.  It could be that or it might just be that they like it, a lot. Not that anyone seemed to suffer horribly - they were all up the following morning to help 45M up the line.

 

 

Being about the only M boat restored to as it would have been when working, 45M is held in high esteem - that the original Bolinder engine still powers the boat secures its elevated position: for this is no ordinary boating experience: starting the engine needs the power of an ox, the timing of a clock maker and thirty minutes pre heating with a blow torch; there is no reverse gear, it is drifted into a lock and stopped with a rope; all of which demands skill and confidence. In England unconverted working boats with original engines are not unusual but, in Ireland, the rarity of 45M made it a natural choice for the filming of ‘Three Men in a Boat’ on their canal ‘odyssey’ from Dublin a couple of weeks previously from where it was returning.  Several members of the HBA had gone to help ( if you want to know which ones just make the comment: “The camera never lies”, to any HBA gathering and watch for the ones choking their laughter back!) and we walked down to greet it and help with the top two locks. Sadly 45M’s exhaust exits through the side of the boat so it does not blow the perfect smoke rings a friend’s similarly engined boat is noted for, but it did sound and look glorious as it was greeted by the crowd of ex working boatmen who, having been invited for a day out and a meal by the HBA, were wandering around the harbour. To stand and listen to these men talk about the old days and ways on the canal was something that I have never done in England where looking back is almost a national obsession - not that the conversation would have been very different.  More history was on offer when Jill and I joined the walk of Naas Canal and harbour run by the Naas Historical Society. The tour was led by four men who, as they introduced themselves, made us wonder if you had to be either a Mayor, or an ex Mayor, to be into history. Their combined knowledge was so thorough that the mile long tour took over two hours.  As always the rally concluded with prize giving where, by some miracle and amidst much clapping, each child won something. We left Naas earlier than many and were fortunate to do so as the local kids played havoc with some of the boats left unattended. It was a sad end to what was otherwise a huge success and a credit to WI, Kildare IWAI and the HBA.

Puppy Update
With the puppies weaned, Eric decided that he really ought to get rid of as many as possible before he became overly attached. Four have now been found homes but it does seem that Eric is to keep one as company for Oiche. The pictures below were taken just hours before the fourth pup was collected. A sad day and one that means there will be no more puppy updates. Neither will there be any more pups in the future as Oiche has been to the vet....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The HBA used the Naas rally to launch ‘Fine lines - Clear Water’,  a companion book to the earlier publication ‘Cool Metal - Clear Water.  For anyone interested in heritage boats and the history of working boats in Ireland they are invaluable.  They are available through the HBA’s website here :


Joelle, Ted’s partner and companion for much of our summer’s cruising, has posted her own blog of the Misfit’s travels which includes some of her own thoughts and many fine photos. If interested just click here