Eight boats stranded in Offaly due to low water level on Grand Canal

EIGHT heritage boats are stranded in Daingean as water levels on the Grand Canal are too low to allow them complete their journey to Dublin.

The flotilla is comprised of members of the Heritage Boats Association (HBA) who recently took part in events organised as part of a Heritage Week festival in Pullough and Tullamore in conjunction with Waterways Ireland and the Inland Waterways Association.

National President of the HBA, Donal Boland said the problem was caused by historic under-investment in the canal by successive bodies including Waterways Ireland, the Office of Public Works, CIE and the old Grand Canal Company.

But, he said the situation has also had a positive side as the HBA had a chance to interact with members of the Daingean Development Association to explore ideas on how to develop the Grand Canal as a tourist attraction and amenity in the town.

Malachy Mangan of Daingean Development Association, said local people had made the boat owners feel most welcome during their unintended prolonged stay in the former country capital.

Ann Conway of the association presented vouchers to the boat owners as a welcome gift so they could enjoy local facilities during their stay in Daingean.

Donal Boland said Waterways Ireland needed more funding from central Government to invest in navigation issues on the canal.

He acknowledged the huge work which had been carried out on greenways along the canal and said this had contributed to their huge popularity.

"We would argue that Waterways Ireland should be focused on navigation," he pointed out.

The HBA chief said his organisation had great confidence in the new Waterways Ireland Manager for the region, Paddy Harkin.

He added that the canals had been poorly maintained over the years and said that the problem in Daingean was due to the bed in the waterway being raised by debris.

"We would be calling for a maintenance programme that involves dredging and not just the cutting of weeds," he outlined.

Mr Boland said the visit of the heritage boats to Pullough, Tullamore and Daingean in recent weeks had helped raise awareness of the potential of the canal.

"We had the launch of a history publication in Pullough and then a gathering in Tullamore to co-incide with Heritage Week," he outlined.

He said this was a positive development considering the canal network now was little used and poorly maintained.