HBA February 2016 Update

News from from the Chairman  (members only) 

What a winter we have had, especially for those who have boats on the Shannon or other rivers. Exceptionally high levels have meant constant monitoring of mooring lines, and often not being able to easily get to your boat because the access has been flooded. Hopefully the worst of this is behind us, and we are on the way to returning to normal levels.

We had the best turnout yet for our End of Season/Start of Season event, held again this year in Athlone, with over 50 members attending. The Barrow Bowl, which was awarded to Pat McManus at the AGM in November for his Trojan work with the CSIG (IWAI Charting Special Interest Group) especially in Lough Ree, was presented to Pat after the EOS/SOS meal in Hatter’s Restaurant. Well done Pat.

There is now a list of events published on the website for 2016 that we are either arranging ourselves or have been invited to attend. These begin with a one day conference on the Mid Shannon on March 12 in Tullamore, and concluding with an event in Heritage Week at the end of August. Many of these are joining in with IWAI events, with our main Cruise in Company this year being focused on Waterways Ireland Blue Way from Lough Allen to Drumsna at the end of July and into the first week of August. We will start at the Joe Mooney festival in Acres Lake, and after a few days in Lough Allen, have a parade of boats from Drumshambo to Leitrim Village which will highlight the Shannon Blueway over the August Bank Holiday Weekend.

The Heritage Boat Association is not all about cruising and events, but about preserving the stories and history of Ireland’s floating heritage, industries and the people that were associated with them. As we travel the canals and rivers we interact with the communities and people we meet along the way. We hope that you can take a few moments to explore our website to see more of what the Heritage Boat Association has to offer.

A one-day conference is to be held by the Inland Navigations of Ireland Historical Society on Saturday 12th March in Tullamore  This year's topic is the Mid-Shannon.  Details available here.