[Article] Return of barges to Liffey planned

Navan Junction

Adam Harvey, Irish Times Tue, Jan 15, 2008

An €8 million plan to raise and restore four sunken Guinness barges from the ocean so they can once more ply the Liffey is at the heart of an ambitious plan to carry tourists from Heuston Station to Dublin Bay.

A planning application has been lodged with Dublin City Council to reintroduce the barges, which carried barrels down the river from Guinness's James's Gate brewery between the 1880s and the late 1960s.

The 80-foot long barges are currently deep beneath the ocean off the coast of Northern Ireland, where they were scuttled after a second life as sand transports.

The refitted, glass-canopied barges would operate two- and four-hour cruises, while a separate fleet of ferries would collect and drop off passengers at 12 points along the river, including Smithfield, Tara Street, the Point, Grand Canal Dock and the planned U2 Experience in the Docklands.

The heart of the scheme is a purpose-built pontoon at Ormond Quay between the Ha'penny and Millennium bridges, says Sam Field Corbett, the project manager with the firm behind the scheme, Irish Ship and Barge Fabrication Company.

The 120-metre "floating street" would be cobbled and sit about one metre off the Liffey boardwalk, said Mr Field Corbett. Visitors would be able to walk a few inches from the surface of the river, as the pontoon would move with the tide, he said. They could brave the elements and sit at outdoor tables on the pontoon, and order coffee from two Guinness barges refitted as a floating cafe and restaurant.

© 2008 The Irish Times

lord lucan

they should look at cleaning up the river in the city first,it's manky,particularly evident at low tide. and just imagine sipping your coffee on the pontoon in the summer with the smell from the river(it's at it's worst when its hot!).:eek:

Colm R

It actually brings about an interesting question of Public Transport on our rivers, I'm not sure if there was a thread on this before.

We seriously do not take advantage of our City Rivers, espeically in Cork and Dublin.

Brisbane and Sydney are two cities that come to mind that have fully integrated public transport including river transport.

Imagine a situation in Dublin where buses coming from the West of the city and trains into Heuston could interchange with a ferry terminus near Heuston.

Then you could have stops along the way such as Four Courts, Templebar, Eden Quay (Interchange to buses), Tara Street (interchange to Dart), John Rogerson Quay, The Point, Grand Canal Dock (interchange to Dart)

Considering the strong growth in employment in the Docklands, and the massive numbers that travel the quays every day, it surely must be viable.

Colm R

Likewise in Cork, a service starting at the new docklands to travel up the river to include the new train station (if built), Merchants Quay, Opera House, Mercy Hospital, UCC, and Victoria cross (interchange with number 8 and 5 buses).

Am I talking pie in the sky

Navan Junction

Hmm. Just wondering would there be any benefit to making the liffey less tidal, with a dman of sorts further downstream from the Customes house

Probably not, but the liffey is tidal.

I remember reading about the Irish canal systems and how water levels in certain months meant that for extended periods they could not be used.

The Boyne navigation was particularly interesting if I remember because on the one hand it suffered at times as a result of insufficient water in summer, and the high waters in winter also caused problems around the slane area

paulm17781

I'd have thought the Liffey's tidal nature would make this a problem. When the tide goes right out, most of the water vanishes, you couldn't get a barge through some parts.

John R

Colm R wrote: »

It actually brings about an interesting question of Public Transport on our rivers, I'm not sure if there was a thread on this before.

We seriously do not take advantage of our City Rivers, espeically in Cork and Dublin.

Brisbane and Sydney are two cities that come to mind that have fully integrated public transport including river transport.

Imagine a situation in Dublin where buses coming from the West of the city and trains into Heuston could interchange with a ferry terminus near Heuston.

Then you could have stops along the way such as Four Courts, Templebar, Eden Quay (Interchange to buses), Tara Street (interchange to Dart), John Rogerson Quay, The Point, Grand Canal Dock (interchange to Dart)

Considering the strong growth in employment in the Docklands, and the massive numbers that travel the quays every day, it surely must be viable.

The Liffey is tidal through that section, at low tide there wouldn't be enough draught for boats big enough to be of PT use and at high tide there is less than 1 metre headroom at many of the bridges. Unless that is changed there would be little point investing in public transport that is only operational on some days at certain times.

To get a constant useful water level would require a dual sea lock and retaining wall around the Custom House/Docklands area and a second dam upstream of Heuston to maintain water levels when the river is low.

It would effectively make the city section static at times and if you think it smells bad now that is nothing compared to dirty static water.

Chris_533976

There are plans in Cobh (quite serious ones too) to have a katamaran service from Aghada, Cobh, Monkstown, possibly Ringaskiddy up to Cork.

Its being done privately, it will be fantastic if they get it going. About 30 mins travel time apparently, dropoff point will be about 500m from the bus station. You cant get any closer cos there are bridges in the way.

Cookie_Monster

It seems a bit mad going to the trouble of "finding", raising, making floatable and transporting barges that are already over 50 years old, maybe much older. then theres proper restoration and structure expansion on top of that.

Surely there are more suitable craft easier and cheaper to procure, that are not at the bottom of the sea!

fitzyshea

lord lucan wrote: »

they should look at cleaning up the river in the city first,it's manky,particularly evident at low tide. and just imagine sipping your coffee on the pontoon in the summer with the smell from the river(it's at it's worst when its hot!).:eek:

I agree the river is manky, they should dredge it first and clean it up before they decide to do anything like this. Its lovely at Heuston when the tide is out and the shopping trolleys and road work signs and cones are sticking up!

murphaph

It's a bit ridiculous that Belfast has it's Lagan Weir while Dublin has nothing but a smelly cess pool of a river at low tide.

Victor

Of course, in a channel / harbour, you are likely to be restricted to 5 kt (9km/h).Even Luas can beat that.

Draught and air draught shouldn't be a huge problem. Afterall, Guinness were doing it for decades (although beer deliveries are less time dependant than a passenger service).

Colm R wrote: »

Likewise in Cork, a service starting at the new docklands to travel up the river to include the new train station (if built), Merchants Quay, Opera House, Mercy Hospital, UCC, and Victoria cross (interchange with number 8 and 5 buses).

You would need a lock to get past the weir.

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

It seems a bit mad going to the trouble of "finding", raising, making floatable and transporting barges that are already over 50 years old, maybe much older. then theres proper restoration and structure expansion on top of that.

Character

Capt'n Midnight

At high tide the clearance under O'Connell bridge would be about a meter.
At very low tides you can see rock at the bottom of the river bed especially closer to Heuston , so it would be very difficult to deepen it.

DWCommuter

Once its a private venture, I don't care. Its their money. If a politician was behind it, I'd worry, just a tad.

Either way its yet another "Quay transport" project like lifts and cable cars and......baloney.

And don't forget the water protectors in An Taisce. Anything faster than a mouse with crutches causes erosion of the banks!.(I was told that once when I suggested using parts of the grand canal in parkwest) Reinforcement I said. Nay he replied.:( Swans, ducks, rats and the whole habitat thing.

paulm17781

DWCommuter wrote: »

And don't forget the water protectors in An Taisce. Anything faster than a mouse with crutches causes erosion of the banks!.

I've seen people go up in jet skis and speed boats? How do they get this permission or do they not?

Barges are quite common in the liffey too.

DWCommuter

paulm17781 wrote: »

I've seen people go up in jet skis and speed boats? How do they get this permission or do they not?

Barges are quite common in the liffey too.

Ring the river police, whoever they really are.:D

jlang

Good luck to them, but I'm not sure I'll be recommending a 4 hour barge trip on the Liffey to visitors to the city.

Tipsy Mac

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

It seems a bit mad going to the trouble of "finding", raising, making floatable and transporting barges that are already over 50 years old, maybe much older. then theres proper restoration and structure expansion on top of that.

Surely there are more suitable craft easier and cheaper to procure, that are not at the bottom of the sea!

This is how you con a council into allowing planning permission for something which will end up being a private mooring facility for luxury yachts.

Cookie_Monster

Tipsy Mac wrote: »

This is how you con a council into allowing planning permission for something which will end up being a private mooring facility for luxury yachts.

Clever:D