Barry Keatley, Chairman of branch after a long day with members of the branch clearing back and cleaning the wall of the old graveyard on the Grand Canal bank in Athy. It has been a busy summer for all in the North Barrow branch. Some great gaols have been achieved by the branch over the past few months, most of which have been done by partnering with other local organisations. For example, by teaming up with the local Rowing/Canoeing club and the local Fishing club, the Barrowline towpath is now maintained five days a week by a group of 12 people employed under the TUS scheme. Through this initiative, light maintenance such as grass cutting, hedge trimming and litter picking is carried out daily. This has resulted in the landscape around the waterways in Athy being dramatically transformed in recent times. In other news, the coming together of several south Kildare based agencies has resulted in a website specifically dedicated to those using the waterways has being established. www.athywaterways.com pulls together all the information that users of the waterways may need from the perspective of both locals and those visiting. While the website is still in its infancy, feedback would be greatly welcomed with regard to usability and what other informational needs visitors to the area may require. Any suggestions would be warmly received at [email protected]
Given that Athy is exempt for the new EMP mooring charge introduced by Waterways Ireland; several boats have now taken up a permanent residence in the town. Welcoming this, members of the North Barrow branch have installed new mooring posts on the west bank of the Barrow just below the main town bridge. While much work is still being carried out on these moorings to enhance the accessibility of the area, visitors failing to find a berth on the jetty are encouraged to moor here. It is also planned to secure another floating jetty for the west bank of the river in the near future. In this regard, the branch would like to hear from individuals or companies that can assist with this undertaking. Those that might be able to help are asked to contact Cliff Reid on 087-2061999.
While the branch is glad to report no incidences of vandalism or interference over the summer, members have been made aware of break-in’s happening in other locations throughout the country during this period. Therefore, a new CCTV system has been acquired for the floating jetty in Athy. It is hoped that this will further add to the security of the area and provide peace of mind to those leaving their vessels moored long-term. This was introduced in light of the fact that several boat owners using the jetty hail for counties such as Wicklow, Kilkenny and Laois; and therefore not always on-hand locally.
Branch members have also been busy networking with several agencies to enhance the use of the entire waterways stretch under their remit. To this end, a specific conference was hosted by Kildare County Council and Outdoor Tourism Kildare with the objective of bringing together stakeholders from across several agencies including Failte Ireland and Waterways Ireland, along with local groups representing all users of the waterways. This proved very successful and has resulted in strategic plans being established for the further development of the entire area.
Lastly, members of the North Barrow branch and several other waterways based stakeholders have formed a very active online community. Through the use of Facebook, the community shares ideas, experiences and suggestions in the hope that we will all benefit from the further development of our waterways. The online community is open to the public and everyone is welcome to participate. Members of IWAI that are on Facebook are very welcome to join us at www.facebook.com/athywaterways
Given that Athy is exempt for the new EMP mooring charge introduced by Waterways Ireland; several boats have now taken up a permanent residence in the town. Welcoming this, members of the North Barrow branch have installed new mooring posts on the west bank of the Barrow just below the main town bridge. While much work is still being carried out on these moorings to enhance the accessibility of the area, visitors failing to find a berth on the jetty are encouraged to moor here. It is also planned to secure another floating jetty for the west bank of the river in the near future. In this regard, the branch would like to hear from individuals or companies that can assist with this undertaking. Those that might be able to help are asked to contact Cliff Reid on 087-2061999.
While the branch is glad to report no incidences of vandalism or interference over the summer, members have been made aware of break-in’s happening in other locations throughout the country during this period. Therefore, a new CCTV system has been acquired for the floating jetty in Athy. It is hoped that this will further add to the security of the area and provide peace of mind to those leaving their vessels moored long-term. This was introduced in light of the fact that several boat owners using the jetty hail for counties such as Wicklow, Kilkenny and Laois; and therefore not always on-hand locally.
Branch members have also been busy networking with several agencies to enhance the use of the entire waterways stretch under their remit. To this end, a specific conference was hosted by Kildare County Council and Outdoor Tourism Kildare with the objective of bringing together stakeholders from across several agencies including Failte Ireland and Waterways Ireland, along with local groups representing all users of the waterways. This proved very successful and has resulted in strategic plans being established for the further development of the entire area.
Lastly, members of the North Barrow branch and several other waterways based stakeholders have formed a very active online community. Through the use of Facebook, the community shares ideas, experiences and suggestions in the hope that we will all benefit from the further development of our waterways. The online community is open to the public and everyone is welcome to participate. Members of IWAI that are on Facebook are very welcome to join us at www.facebook.com/athywaterways
Members of Athy Tidy Town's Committee keeping the Barrow line, Jetty and Town Center area looking clean and in great shape. Well done guys!
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