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Celebrating Ireland's Floating Heritage

Celebrating Ireland's Floating Heritage

Home arrow Vessels arrow Horse Boats arrow 92E - Horse Boat 66 - Dublin 1905
92E - Horse Boat 66 - Dublin 1905 PDF Print E-mail
08 December 2010

 

92E started life as Horse Boat 66, one hundred and five years ago.
 
She was built in 1905 by the Ringsend Dockyard Company for the Grand Canal Company (GCC). In 1912 the GCC converted nine of its horse boats to engine power by installing Bolinder engines. Boat 66 was one of them and she was then re-numbered to10M.
 
Her size was recorded as 62ft x 12ft 10ins. 10M was hired out at least twice as a hack boat during WWII; in 1941 to P Balfe and to P Pender in 1947. In later years 10M became a maintenance boat on the canal and it was then that her number was changed to 92E.
 
Her last crew as a maintenance boat was Todd Aungier, William Cleary and Tommy Kelly. They worked on bank maintenance on the Lowtown to Edenderry stretch of the canal. maintenance days ended in the early 1980’s when 92E was tied up with a number of other barges in Ballycommon. Some years later these boats were transferred to Tullamore Harbour for safekeeping.
 
Time hasn’t been kind to 92E, the hull above the water has corroded badly, her timber decks have almost all rotted away, it looks like many of her ribs have rusted away as she has spread out in her middle. This doesn’t mean that she isn’t salvageable; it will just take quite a bit of engineering skill and resources to restore her to her original dimensions.
 
It has been done in the past so until then 92E is patiently lying in wait for another transformation, that could well extend her eventful life indefinitely.
 

 

In mid-February 2014, 92E was one of a group of surplus barges which were allocated to new owners after a public tendering process. In April along with 95E she was pumped out and prepared for a canal journey. Towed by Dabu initially to Rahan and then by 4E to Shannon Harbour she made an appearance at the Canal Boat Rally and was dry- docked in July and given a little facelift.

The new life for 92E begins.

 

Last Updated ( 08 December 2016 )
 
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