The Grand Canal Company had long been aware of the problems of transportation on a mixed navigation of canal, river and lake. The existing fleet was mainly horse-drawn boats with a number of steam tugs which towed them across lakes and along the Shannon, with some attempts to tow trains of barges over long sections
The first encounters were short affairs beginning with a shout from the canal bank – how far are you going today? The morning after, he appeared on the bank near Fureys as we struggled to haul the beast backwards for a film re-take. This South African living in Enfield was serious about what had me here, which
“Bring us back a parrot” the Dublin kids used to shout over the bridges at the barges as they headed west out of the city, or so the story goes. Well, we were a long way from Dublin, and still not a parrot to be seen! It was June 2005 and the HBA fleet was
It was agreed that old Canal Boats (Irish Barges) attending the World Canal Conference in force would be stunning, so the ‘HBA Launch’ sub-committee was established ………………. The Idea The Heritage Boat Association (HBA) as an idea was spawned a few years before its official launch. A number of Canal Boat owners wanted a grouping
