OFFALY BRANCH  of  the

INLAND WATERWAYS ASSOCIATION OF IRELAND

Offaly IWAI Branch Chairman: Bernadette Quinn, Kilbeggan,
Co. Westmeath, Secretary: Tim Meehan.
Email the Branch here.
Offaly IWAI Meetings:Every 2^nd Month – Tuesdays.

1st Meeting of 2010 is 20^th Jan 2010, 8.00 p.m. AGM for 2009. Venue: Offaly Historical and Archeological Society, Bury Quay, Tullamore. The meeting will commence with a presentation by Michael Byrne, of OHAS, on the Grand Canal in Tullamore and the development of towns along the Canal.

See our Photo gallery Here

For details on Past Events see "2009 Float to the Fleadh" or 2009 Ballycommon Rally & Kilbeggan challenge

Offaly IWAI welcomes 2010! And hopes to welcome YOU to Offaly too..

Local inland waterways updates for early 2010 include:

·        Tullamore Town Council secure funding for a boardwalk, new bridges and a service block for the canal area in Tullamore. Work to commence in 2010.

·        Phoenix Fextival moves to 7^th-10^th May for 2010, to coincide with the 225^th anniversary of the Great Balloon fire of Tullamore, use of the canal as a venue for some activities of the festival has been a feature in previous years, and will continue for the 2010 event.

·        IWAI plan to hold the Kilbeggan Challenge on 28/29 August this year as a feature for Heritage Week.

·        Know Your Boat courses will be developed for Autumn/Winter 2010.

More updates as plans for 2010 develop.

Know Your Boat Course

The ‘Know your Boat’ one day course programme for 2009/2010 will conclude with the last of the 3 classes : Fibreglass – 20th Feb.

These events are a joint partnership between the Offaly Branch of Inland Waterways Association of Ireland and Athlone Institute of Technology Adult Education Department.

Each of the three days course covers boat mechanics, electrics and a hands-on fiberglass course respectively.

Now entering the fifth year the courses continue to receive high levels of praise from participants.

People of a range of different skill levels attend and there are a growing number of lady skippers that have found this course useful. So if you are looking for ideas for a present for someone contact the Offaly Branch at 0872252772. Download our 2009 brochure

Dates :

• Boat Mechanics & Winterising  10th Oct 2009        
• Boat Electrics 28th  Nov 2009
• Fibreglass – 20th Feb. 2010

15.03.09 Click here to read the Sunday Tribune ‘Spring in Your Step’ Supplement that featured a half page on IWAI activities in general, as well as specific information relating to some of the the Barrow Branch and Offaly Branch activities/events in 2009.

FLOAT TO THE FLEADH
Tullamore 16 to 23 August 2009

• Photo Gallery - please send us your photos.

The Offaly Branch is delighted to advise that the 2009 Fleadh Cheoil will be held in Tullamore on 16th August to 23 rd August. Following on from the success of the last two years the Offaly Branch is busy planning for the 3rd Float to the Fleadh.

The intention of is promote the Grand Canal and awareness of it during the Fleadh Cheoil and to encourage and promote boating usage of the canal especially first time canal users. Staying on a cruiser in the heart of Tullamore is a much better option than camping in a makeshift campsite!

Last year saw eighty two boats (the biggest inland boating event of 2008) in Tullamore during the festivities from all over the country and there is much excitement and interest from boaters all over Ireland travelling to Tullamore this year.

The Offaly Branch are organising a Cruise in Company from Shannon Harbour to Tullamore to coincide with the Fleadh. It is planned to depart Shannon Harbour on Saturday morning 15th August.

There is no registration fee and a bus transfer for skippers, sponsored by the branch, will run on Sunday 17th back to Shannon Harbour.

The Offaly Branch is working closely with Waterways Ireland who has offered every assistance. They have a focused weed cutting /debris removal programme in place to assist in passage and mooring, locks will be manned for the cruise & additional mooring facilities provided in Tullamore.  

Each participating craft will have an option of buying a bottle of Locke's Grand Crew whiskey (subject to availability and other terms & conditions).

• Photo Gallery - please send us your photos.
• Discussion & Photos
• See Float to the Fleadh on RTE's "Nationwide" aired 17/08/09
• Download and complete the registration form
• Download and display our A4 Poster with information on this event.
• 27/07/09: Download our Press Release on the Launch of the Float to the Fleadh 2009 - see some photos of the occasion here.
• See Tips for boating on the Grand Canal
• More information on the Fleadh Cheoil is at www.fleadh2009.com 
• See also an account of The First Float to the Fleadh 2007

Kilbeggan Challenge/Ballycommon Rally 29-30 August 2009

The Offaly Branch annual Kilbeggan Challenge/Ballycommon rally, in conjunction with the Heritage Boat Association, was held on August 29th and 30th at the Kilbeggan line to add to the post-Fleadh festivities.

The Kilbeggan Challenge was a spirted affair this year. Offaly IWAI joined  forces with Cooley Distillery, IWAI, HBA, 107B Restoration Barge Project and Kilbeggan Harbour Amenity Group to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Canal’s closure to commercial traffic. The Kilbeggan challenge was the movement of specially selected casks of whiskey from the Cooley Distillery and heritage centre in Kilbeggan to the restored Kilbeggan Harbour and then the movement of the cask via the traditional route down the (still dry) Kilbeggan Line to Ballycommon. There the casks were loaded onto the 107B restoration Barge which will travel with the HBA fleet heading East for delivery to Dublin.  The cask(s) will be bottled as Locke's Grand Crew Irish Whiskey, a tribute to the canal boatmen.  Each participating craft will have an option of buying a bottle (subject to availability).

The following prizes were awarded at the BBQ afterwards:

Best Dressed Boat: 4B Eunice And Cliff Jeffers

Perpetual Shield: Jim Murray and Ned.

Mike & Heather Thomas Trophy: Michael Slevin

• Press Release: Kilbeggan Challenge: Irish whiskey travels again by canal for the first time in over half a century. (PDF or Word)
• More information at www.grandcrew.iwai.ie
• Click here or on the photos below for some photos of the day's proceedings.

• Download Flyer

Mail us here for any further details required, to suggest a website link or make other queries.

Go to older material.

Ó Offaly Branch, IWAI 2010.