Waterways Ireland advises masters of vessels on the Shannon Navigation that in-river works for the construction of the Killaloe Bypass upper bridge superstructure are progressing as planned and will continue until October 2024.

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, the bridge is being constructed around 1km downstream of the current Killaloe–Ballina bridge.

A buoyed navigational channel continues to be provided for 100 metres either side of the in-river works.

The following plant and equipment will be operating on or overhead the navigation during the upper bridge works:

• 600t crawler crane set up on the east shore
• Stabilising crane barge (30m x 23m x 1.88m)
• 100t crawler crane
• Tugboat/pusher boat
• Dumb barge (23m x 9m) and mobile elevated work platforms
• Safety boat
• Landing pontoon and gangways

From next Tuesday 2 to Friday 19 April, the final steel girders will be lifted into position in the central spans of the bridge.

This is a heavy lift operation and deemed high-risk work, requiring calm waters for operation of mobile elevated work platforms (MEWP) on barges.

Masters of vessels are requested to proceed at slow speed (5 knots, no wash) with additional caution in the vicinity of the works, and to follow the instructions of the safety boat crew as there are hazards such as bridge piers, steel piles and mooring lines to navigate.

The cross-border body for Ireland’s inland waterways thanks its customers for their cooperation in relation to these works.

Waterways Ireland advises masters of vessels on and users of the Shannon Navigation that Uisce Éireann will be installing an outfall downstream of Killaloe and Ballina from next Monday 21 August to the end of September.

A work barge will be launched from the carpark adjacent to the Waterways Ireland building in Killaloe and will operate south of the bridge adjacent to the Ballina wastewater treatment plant for the duration of the works.

The outfall will extend from the Ballina plant into the river for a distance of 90 metres.

Two temporary special markers will be installed to mark the limits of the in-river works area downstream of Killaloe and Ballina. A permanent navigation marker will be installed when the works are completed.

Masters of vessels should proceed with additional caution in the vicinity of the works, adds the cross-border body for Ireland’s inland waterways.

Waterways Ireland advises masters of vessels on the Shannon Navigation that the in-river works for the construction of the Killaloe Bypass bridge continue to progress as planned.

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, the bridge is being constructed around 1km downstream of the current Killaloe–Ballina bridge.

Three bridge piers will be constructed in the navigation by December. The first 10 piles were installed on the east side of the river by early June with 10 more on the west side by late June.

Barges and piling moved from the west side to the centre of the river in early July and will be relocated to the west side of the navigation from Monday 7 August.

The crane barge will move to the east jetty and load out precast shells on Tuesday 8 August. It is intended to lift precast concrete shells into position on Wednesday 9, Thursday 10 and Friday 11 August. This is a heavy-lift operation and deemed high-risk work, requiring calm waters.

A buoyed navigation channel is being provided for 100 metres either side of the in river works, the cross-border body for Ireland’s inland waterways adds.

Masters of vessels are requested to proceed at slow speed (5 knots, no wash) with additional caution in the vicinity of the works and to follow the instructions of the safety boat crew as there are hazards such as steel piles and mooring lines to navigate.

Waterways Ireland advises masters of vessels on the Shannon Navigation that the in-river works for the construction of the Killaloe Bypass bridge are progressing as planned.

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, the bridge is being constructed around 1km downstream of the current Killaloe–Ballina bridge.

Three bridge piers will be constructed in the navigation by December. The first 10 piles were installed on the east side of the river by early June with 10 more on the west side by last week, the cross-border body for Ireland’s inland waterways confirms.

A buoyed navigation channel is being provided for 100 metres either side of the in river works. The barges and piling rig have now moved from the west side to the centre of the river as of Tuesday 1 July.

Masters of vessels are requested to proceed at slow speed (5 knots, no wash) with additional caution in the vicinity of the works and to follow the instructions of the safety boat crew as there are hazards such as mooring lines to navigate.

Tributes have been paid to 19-year-old Wassiou Ayawe, who died after an incident involving a jet ski in Killaloe on Wednesday afternoon (31 May).

As RTÉ News reports, the talented footballer died after he and two teenage girls were thrown into the waters of Lough Derg after the personal watercraft they were riding flipped over near Killaloe Bridge.

It’s understood that the two girls, who were wearing lifejackets, were able to swim to safety.

Colin Becker, former president of the Inland Waterways Association of Ireland said: “Our sympathies go to the victim's family and friends.”

Waterways Ireland advises masters of vessels on the Shannon Navigation that the in-river works for the construction of the Killaloe Bypass bridge are progressing as planned.

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, the bridge is being constructed around 1km downstream of the current Killaloe–Ballina bridge.

Three bridge piers will be constructed in the navigation by December. The first 10 piles have now been installed on the east side of the river, the cross-border body for Ireland’s inland waterways confirms.

A buoyed navigation channel is being provided for 100 metres either side of the in river works. The barges and piling rig will be operating on the west side of the river from Thursday 1 June.

Masters of vessels are requested to proceed at slow speed (5 knots, no wash) with additional caution in the vicinity of the works and to follow the instructions of the safety boat crew as there are hazards such as mooring lines to navigate.

Waterways Ireland advises masters of vessels on the Shannon Navigation that in-river works for the construction of the Killaloe Bypass bridge commence Monday 17 April and are expected to continue for several months until December.

The bridge is being constructed around 1km downstream of the existing Killaloe–Ballina bridge.

Plant and other equipment that will be operating on the navigation during these in-river works include the following:

• Jack-up piling barge, 22m x 17m x 2.44m
• Stabilising crane barge, 30m x 23m x 1.88m
• Piling rig, 85t
• Crawler crane, 130t
• Tugboat/pusher boat Tiger 2
• Dumb barge, 23m x 9m
• Landing craft
• Safety boat
• Landing pontoon and gangways

Piling will commence on Tuesday 2 May with three bridge piers being constructed in the navigation by December, the cross-border body for Ireland’s inland waterways says.

A buoyed navigation channel has been provided for 100 metres either side of the in river works since Friday 14 April. The navigation channel will be to the west side of the barges/pontoons from Monday 17 April to Wednesday 31 May.

Masters of vessels are requested to proceed at slow speed, with additional caution in the vicinity of the works, and to follow the instructions of the safety boat crew.

Waterways Ireland advises masters of vessels and waterways users on the Shannon Navigation that a series of events will take place in Killaloe next weekend (16-18 September) as part of the end-of-season LUA celebration of ‘wild water’ in the Co Clare village.

Friday 16 September will see the Lough Derg branch of the Inland Waterways Association of Ireland (IWAI) hold its end-of-season celebration with commodores John and Sandra Lefroy and Matt Daniels with guest of honour Mayor of Clare, Tony O’Brien. 
                                         
In addition, Norma Manly and band will be in concert at St Flannan’s Cathedral from 8pm.

On Saturday 17 September, there will be a presentation by Gary McMahon, director of the AKA Ilen project on sailing in Irish and international waters for over a century. This takes place at noon in St Flannan’s Cathedral.

It will be followed by a presentation by Martin Cooper on the cathedral’s distinctive bells at 3pm, honouring Bryan and Betty Brislane.

And at 8pm there will be a special concert — Killaloe: a musical celebration — featuring Mary Donahue, Paul Fitzpatrick and friends. Proceeds will go to the Lough Derg Coast Guard and Killaloe Fire and Rescue Services.

On Sunday 18 September, Caroline Rainsford will host a special hour-long session of tai chi by the waterside from 9am, free and suitable for all abilities.

At 11.30am, there will be an ecumenical service at St Flannan’s that will include a blessing of the waterways and environs, followed by a presentation to Sandra and John Lefroy of the famed steamboat Phoenix as well as a closing celebration hosted by the IWAI’s Lough Derg branch.

Throughout the weekend, St Flannan’s will also host a special art exhibition from local artist Trish Taylor Thompson on the theme of the waterways.

Meanwhile, Waterways Ireland advises masters of vessels that construction works have commenced on a new bridge across the Shannon Navigation around 1km downstream of the existing bridge in Killaloe.

A silt curtain has been installed in the navigation and construction works will be extending into the navigation over the next 12 months. Masters of vessels should proceed with additional caution in the vicinity of the construction works.

The inland waterways will be celebrated at Killaloe next month, the quintessential waterways town on the River Shannon in Co.Clare.

Called ‘LUA’, it will be “a celebration of wild water at the ancient settlement of Killaloe, which is a gift of the Shannon, ” says Rev.Paul Fitzpatrick, Dean’s Vicar at St.Flannan’s Cathedral in Killaloe, who has designed the event “to explore our evolving engagement with wild water and how best to individually and collectively irrigate a more beneficial relationship with it, both culturally and environmentally.”

Rev Paul Fitzpatrick and members of his Killaloe congregation

It will take place from Friday, September 16, through Saturday and Sunday, September 17 and 18, with an exhibition on the theme of waterways and the environment and a presentation by the Director of the AK ILEN project, Gary McMahon, about the restoration of Ireland’s last sailing schooner.

"Called ‘LUA’, it will be “a celebration of wild water at the ancient settlement of Killaloe"

Killaloe is “incredible with maritime history, rooted in the ancient and contemporary, revolving around the life and times of what is the treasure of the maritime and the inland waterways,” says Rev. Fitzpatrick, an enthusiastic boater on the Shannon himself.

Listen to him on the Podcast here

BreakingNews.ie reports that a charity rower was left “shaken” after he was rescued from strong currents in the River Shannon at the Killaloe bridge.

Killaloe Coast Guard Unit were tasked at 2.40pm yesterday (Wednesday 25 September) to the scene where the rower had managed to secure his vessel to the navigation markers leading to the bridge.

The rescue team were with the rower within minutes and transferred him to safety while his vessel was taken under tow to the public slipway at Ballina.

BreakingNews.ie says the incident follows a “lucky escape” for three men last month whose lake boat collided with the same bridge.