A barge has navigated the Royal Canal through Dublin for the first time in nearly fifty years.
In 1961 the Royal Canal which had been owned by CIÉ (Córas Iompair Éireann) was officially closed and fell into disrepair and neglect.
An event organised by the Royal Canal Amenity Group and the Inland Waterways Association of Ireland celebrates the official re-opening of the canal, which links Dublin city to the river Shannon. Eight vessels made their way from the river Liffey through six locks on the canal.
It is now possible to navigate from Dublin to Abbeyshrule in County Longford. Chairman of the Dublin branch of Inland Waterways of Ireland Donal Ó Síochán describes the Royal Canal reopening as a significant day for Irish waterways.
This is another link in the chain.
Ruth Delaney was the last person to make this journey in the 1950s with her late husband Douglas Heard, on a small converted ship’s lifeboat they travelled from Dublin, to the Shannon.
The event today is part of the Canals of Dublin Millennium Rally, which aims to highlight the benefits of preserving the country’s waterways.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 20 May 2000. The reporter is Colm O’Callaghan.
