Naomh Eanna - Grand Canal Dock

There is two shops based in the ship one is Surf dock and the other is flagship scuba.

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

Looking at the pictures you would be talking hundreds of thousands to get it properly restored and mobile if it's a resoration to it's original style, no idea where this money will come from and I can't see the state paying for it. It's over 25 years lying pretty much idle, how some decision on what to do with it has taken this long is beyond me. As far as I know scuttling is illegal now and vessel would need to be properly disposed of onshore, again big expense to do.

Scuttling under permit is legal by marine a fisheries if it will bring tourism I.E dive sites to the comunity

Did cie not own it?

Are both companies still based in the ship though?! I dont think they would like it if it was scuttled:eek:

From reading the above posts I'm in equal parts amazed and disappointed to see so many people casually suggesting that the ferry be scrapped - its not like we have many of these vessels left any more just lying around

I'm also sorry to have to report that it looks like the vessel may be scrapped next year unless some funding materialises :mad:

The now defunct DDA had originally planned to refurbish the two remaining graving docks beside the Naomh Eanna and to have the ferry permanently dry-docked there as a shop / attraction in a social / commercial space - which is a great idea and as an avid conservationist I think should be financed. The ferry has been berthed in Grand Canal Docks for the past 25 years and has been home to the surfdock shop for at least the last 20, and to the scuba company for about 10 years (I think). If it were refurbished like the Cill Airne which is currently docked in the Liffey outside Price Waterhouse Coopers, it could be a very attractive and profitable centrepiece to the docks as a whole.

The Naomh Eanna is currently a business premises that is providing a useful service commercially and could with some restoration be aesthetically pleasing too. On that basis that it should be maintained as is - that is as a floating commercial space. It could be expanded to include a coffee shop on the upper decks with seating in the saloon and on the outside decks which I'm sure would be popular given that the ferry sees a lot of visitors already between the surf shop, the scuba shop, and the Viking duckboat tours that all operate on or near the vessel.


Im not saying that everything should be kept simply because of its age, but to take something that is not beyond repair and that is currently turning a profit and send it to the scrap heap is not just short-sighted but an act of vandalism.

Judgement Day wrote: »

I've seen this story before, and just how long do you think that the boat will last outside on a concrete plinth.

Since my earlier posts I've also contacted Frank McDonald in the Irish Times and Marcus Connaughton on the RTE Seascapes programme. However, having spoken to one of the people behind the "Naomh Eanna Trust" it appears that there's little hope for the vessel as Waterways Ireland http://www.waterwaysireland.org want it removed by next week as it's not tidy enough for them.

The intro to Seascapes last night mentioned this, like they were going to do a feature or at least a few minutes on it - but then never mentioned it again

Thought it was pre-recorded? Bit odd that they'd have a line on it in the intro and then.... nothing!

I had many trips on Naomh Eanna to the Aran ISlands as a kid, I still remember the day she arrived in Galway to take over the service to the Aran Island and operated by CIE, she was a top heavy boat and rolled a lot in heavy seas but she was a lovely boat and was spotless inside with a lovely lounge bar area and seating. In the summer she would be full to capacity with tourists visiting the Islands, she could only dock at Inishmore and anchored off Inishman and Inisher where you went ashore by currach and the cattle were swam ashore, it was unreal to see cookers and fridges being put on currachs for transport to shore, they nearly sank with the weight. she was also used as a tender for the Holland American liners Maasdam,Ryndam and Niew Amsterdam when they called to Galway, many times she was unable to get passengers on or off due weather and the Pilot got many a trip on the liners as he could not get off she rolled so much.

My cousin was on a trip to Aran when the Naomh Eanna received the May Day that a KLM plane had crashed off the West Coast, she left for the scene with some passengers still on board including him, she was on scene I think for a few days and picked up some of the crashed planes debris. She was eventually replaced on the liner work by the newly acquired Galway Bay which was originally a tug in Southampton as Calshot, Galway Bay was a very sturdy boat and she never had a problem with weather, the Naomh Eanna returned to her normal service to the Islands until she was retired by CIE.

Galway Bay done the Aran Island service for a while after Naomh Eanna and she also done the so called "Bop On The Bay" where she left the docks at 9pm in summertime at night cruising Galway Bay with a disco on board and returning at around 1am in the morning, they were great nights and always had a great crowd on board, Galway Bay was very nice inside with two decks of lounges and a large closed in area with large windows to look out, she is now restored as Calshot in Southampton but they are two great ships that will live in my memory but very sad to see the way the Naomh Eanna was treated, she should have been kept in Galway as a Maritime Museum and given a run during the summer months with tourists.

Some nice pictures here
http://galwayships.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=9&page=1