Tag Archives: Armagh
William P O'Brien
Posted on Wednesday 6 May 2015 | 2 comments
On 18 July 1975 the Irish Department of Education wrote to William P O'Brien, of 17 Victoria Street, Armagh, asking him to set the exam paper for the Intermediate Certificate French exam of 1977. He was offered a fee of £38.50 for setting the paper, consultation and revision and correcting the proofs. He posted the paper to the department on 31 July and received an acknowledgement on 5 August 1975.
Mr O'Brien was a member of the Thomond Archaeological Society and, on 6 December 1975, paid it £5.50 in a cheque drawn on his account with the Bank of Ireland in Armagh.
Some day, somebody may want to know that.
Posted in Ireland
Tagged Armagh, examiner, French, inter cert
The Armagh Canal
Posted on Thursday 27 February 2014 | Leave a comment
Another unbuilt canal mentioned by the indefatigable Mr Atkinson.
A proposal for making a canal from the city of Armagh to the river Blackwater, near the town of Moy
In order to shew, that carrying into effect the annexed sketch of a line [alas not annexed to the Google scan of Atkinson's book], for opening a navigable communication from Armagh to the river Blackwater, would be a work of public utility, the following reasons are most respectfully submitted to the Right Honourable and Honourable the Committee of the House of Commons.
From Armagh, being the most considerable market in the kingdom for the sale of brown linens, the manufacture of that staple article is carried on to a very great extent in its neighbourhood; but this manufacture is in danger of being most materially injured, from the great scarcity of fuel, which is such as to oblige the opulent inhabitants to use English coal, at a great expense of land carriage; and they have latterly, at inclement seasons, been under the necessity of subscribing large sums, to procure that article at a low price for the poor, to prevent them from perishing.
Should a navigation be opened from Lough Neagh it would give the means of a supply of turf from the extensive bogs in the neighbourhood of the lake, would open a communication with the collieries at Coal island, in the county of Tyrone, and bring English or Scotch coal at considerably under the prices at which they can now be procured.
An extensive trade in general articles of merchandise being carried on from Armagh, not only to its own neighbourhood, but to a considerable part of the counties of Monaghan and Tyrone, by opening a navigation through Lough Neagh to the ports of Belfast and Newry, this trade would be very considerably extended, to the great advantage of Armagh, and all those places to which its trade extends, and would tend much to improve the public revenue.
To the great number of bleach-greens and flour mills in the neighbourhood of Armagh, water carriage would be of the highest importance, as well for the conveyance of bleaching stuffs, coals, grain, and flour, as of timber, slates, and other heavy articles, used in erecting and repairing the necessary buildings, machinery, &c.
In a large tract of country, from Blackwater town to Lough Neagh, and from thence up the river Bann, and along the canal to Newry (an extent of nearly 30 miles), there is no limestone whatever; so that lime can only be procured by land carriage from a distance of several miles, which prevents its being at all used in that important national object — agriculture.
Was a canal opened from Armagh, it must necessarily go through the lands in that vicinity, containing inexhaustible quantities of limestone, which could be conveyed by boats returning from Armagh, at a very inconsiderable expense, to all that part of the county above mentioned.
The cut, as laid down in the plan, would extend about five and a half miles; and according to the estimate, would, when completed, cost from £18,000 to £20,000, about one-third of which could be raised by subscription.
To keep the works in repair, and pay interest to the subscribers, would require a toll of about sixpence per ton on all boats carrying coals, or any other species of merchandise; but boats laden merely with turf or limestone might be charged only twopence per ton.
The number of horses constantly employed in bringing coals, turf, and other necessaries, to Armagh, amount to some hundreds; two-thirds of these would, from a canal, become unnecessary, and consequently make a saving to the country of their keeping, attendance, &c to a very large amount.
Should the Armagh navigation be carried into execution, it would be necessary to give the commissioners of it a power of laying on a very small toll on vessels coming into the Blackwater from Lough Neagh, to enable them to clear, and keep in order, a cut which was made many years ago (as marked in the plan), to avoid a sand bank in the mouth of the river Blackwater.
Armagh, Moy and Lough Neagh
A Atkinson Esq (late of Dublin) Ireland exhibited to England, in a political and moral survey of her population, and in a statistical and scenographic tour of certain districts; comprehending specimens of her colonisation, natural history and antiquities, arts, sciences, and commerce, customs, character, and manners, seats, scenes and sea views. Violent inequalities in her political and social system, the true source of her disorders. Plan for softening down those inequalities, and for uniting all classes of the people in one civil association for the improvement of their country. With a letter to the members of His Majesty's Government on the state of Ireland Vol II Baldwin, Cradock, and Joy, London 1823.
The Armagh canal document, bearing a date of June 20th 1800, is also included in Rev John Dubourdieu Statistical Survey of the County of Antrim, with observations on the means of improvement; drawn up for the consideration, and by direction of The Dublin Society Dublin 1812 [Google scan, again sketchless] but is not, oddly, mentioned in Sir Charles Coote Bart Statistical survey of the County of Armagh: with observations on the means of improvement; drawn up in the years 1802, and 1803, for the consideration, and under the direction of the Dublin Society Dublin 1804 [at archive.org here], although Coote does say of Newry
A canal has been in contemplation, to be cut from this town to Armagh, and an iron road is also talked of, but there has been no decision in either cases.
Posted in Ashore, Built heritage, Canals, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Foreign parts, Forgotten navigations, Industrial heritage, Ireland, Irish inland waterways vessels, Operations, Politics, Sources, The turf trade, Unbuilt canals, waterways, Waterways management
Tagged agriculture, Armagh, Atkinson, Bann, barge, belfast, Blackwater, bleach-greens, boats, canal, coal, coalisland, Dublin Society, horses, Ireland, Irish House of Commons, iron road, limestone, linen, Lough Neagh, Maghery cut, Monaghan, Moy, navigation, Newry, Operations, Rev John Dubourdieu, Sir Charles Coote, toll, turf, tyrone, unbuilt canals, vessels, waterways
The Dublin to Lough Neagh Canal
Here's another lunatic canal proposal: one I hadn't come across before.
Proposal for making a line of navigation from Dublin to Lough Neagh
It is proposed by several noblemen and gentlemen of the county of Meath, and of the manufacturing counties of the north of Ireland, the river Boyne company, with several merchants of the city of Dublin and of the commercial towns of the north, to complete, by private subscription, together with such aid as parliament may be pleased to grant, a navigable canal, from the royal canal at Blanchardstown, near Castleknock, in the county of Dublin, to Navan, Kells, Balieborough, Monaghan, Armagh, and Lough Neagh.
The object of this undertaking is to open a direct intercourse between the metropolis and the manufacturing towns of the north; and it is conceived, by the proposers for this undertaking, that a canal, large enough to navigate twenty-five ton boats on, would answer the trade; and in consequence of many locks being already made, rising from the city of Dublin to Castleknock, they think such a canal could be carried on very cheaply from thence to Navan, where another ascent takes place, through the locks of the Boyne navigation to the level of the town of Kells, and the river Blackwater, at Glevin's bridge, three miles north of that town.
Claven's Bridge over the Blackwater near Kells
The country northward appears so fit for inland navigation, that no doubt can be entertained of being able to cut cheap canals through it. It is therefore most humbly hoped, if a line for a canal in this direction should be found to answer the expectation, that parliament will be pleased to allow the undertaking to become a part of the intended system of inland navigation of Ireland, and to a share of whatever bounty parliament may grant to accomplish the same.
The advantages that would arise to the nation from this undertaking, are too obvious to take up the time of this honourable house with any comment upon them.
A Atkinson Esq (late of Dublin) Ireland exhibited to England, in a political and moral survey of her population, and in a statistical and scenographic tour of certain districts; comprehending specimens of her colonisation, natural history and antiquities, arts, sciences, and commerce, customs, character, and manners, seats, scenes and sea views. Violent inequalities in her political and social system, the true source of her disorders. Plan for softening down those inequalities, and for uniting all classes of the people in one civil association for the improvement of their country. With a letter to the members of His Majesty's Government on the state of Ireland Vol II Baldwin, Cradock, and Joy, London 1823
Posted in Built heritage, Canals, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Foreign parts, Forgotten navigations, Industrial heritage, Ireland, Irish inland waterways vessels, Non-waterway, People, Politics, Sources, Ulster Canal, Unbuilt canals, waterways
Tagged Armagh, Bailieborough, Balieborough, barge, Blackwater, Blanchardstown, boats, Boyne, bridge, canal, Castleknock, cheap canals, Claven's Bridge, Dublin, Glevin's Bridge, Ireland, Kells, lock, lost, Lough Neagh, Monaghan, Navan, Operations, Royal Canal, unbuilt canals, waterways
Prothero on the Armagh Blackwater and the Ulster Canal
Posted on Tuesday 24 January 2012 | Leave a comment
Another extract from F E Prothero and W A Clark eds A New Oarsman's Guide to the Rivers and Canals of Great Britain and Ireland: Cruising Club Manual, George Philip & Son, London 1896. The lack of detail suggests to me that Prothero did not travel this route himself.
Posted in Built heritage, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Foreign parts, Forgotten navigations, Industrial heritage, Ireland, People, Restoration and rebuilding, Ulster Canal, waterways, Waterways management
Tagged Armagh, Benburb, Blackwater, boats, bridge, canal, canoe, Clones, department of arts heritage and the gaeltacht, Erne, Ireland, lock, lost, Prothero, Ulster Canal, waterways
No news is good news … perhaps
Posted on Friday 21 January 2011 | Leave a comment
Extracts from the Joint Communiqué issued after the 11th Plenary Meeting of the North South Ministerial Council on 21 January 2011:
3. Ministers discussed a range of common challenges and shared views on the economy, the banks and NAMA. They recognised the constraints on budgets in both jurisdictions and the ongoing discussions between the two Finance Ministers to identify potential cost savings through co-operation and sharing were welcomed. There was a desire to maximise access to EU funding and
6. Ministers noted the Progress Report on the ten NSMC meetings which have been held since the last Plenary meeting in July 2010 and welcomed the mutually beneficial co-operation taken forward including that:
[…] The restoration of the Royal Canal to reconnect it to the Shannon has been completed and a preferred route for the Clones to Upper Lough Erne section of the Ulster Canal has been identified.
No exciting announcement there, so the bulldozers have not yet been set rolling on the Clones Canal. Phew. Maybe we've had to choose between the canal to Clones and the road to Londonderry/Derry and the road has won ….
Posted in Ashore, Economic activities, Extant waterways, Forgotten navigations, Non-waterway, Operations
Tagged Armagh, boats, Brian Cowen, canal, Clones, Department of Community Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs, Erne, Ireland, Lough Neagh, North South Ministerial Council, NSMC, Operations, Peter Robinson, Ulster Canal, waterways, Waterways Ireland