Technical Details

68M on the Suir 2005	Reg Number:	68M
	Built By:	Vickers (Ireland) Ltd
	Year:	1936
	Construction:	Riveted Steel
	Length:	61' 6"
	Beam:	13' 1.5"
	Payload:	60 tons
	Draft Loaded:	4' 51/2"
	Draft Empty:	1'6"
	Weighed:	Killaloe 1936
	Current Draft:	3'3" Ballasted
	Engine:	Bolinder E Type, 15 HP 120hp Perkins S6M
	Home Base:	Lough Derg

When the canal finally closed in 1960, 68M wasn't sold off but was kept by CIE for maintenance purposes. She was used as a Mud Boat (also known as clay or gravel boat) from the mid to late 1960's to 1980. Technically when she worked as a maintenance boat on the canal she should have been re-numbered to an "E" (Engineering) boat, but the re-numbering didn't continue after the commercial activity had ceased on the canals.

In 1980 prior to her being laid up her cabin was stripped out in Athy dry dock as she was destined for a fit out like 51M, the carpenters boat. For some reason ClE changed their minds and that never happened. Her Bolinder was removed and sold, it ended up in England, while the hull was left to rust away with a number of other disused barges partially submerged in the Grand Canal at Ballycommon. A year or so later because of vandalism these boats were moved to Tullamore Harbour for safe keeping were 68M sank and remained under water until August 1993.

In 1991 when the first Waterways series, 45M, was being made, the inside of the hull of 68M was filmed underwater in Tullamore Harbour and was shown in the series. In 1993 68M was raised by its new owner Dick Kearney. Dick with the help of his sons Declan and Paul then towed her to Lowtown where it remained tied to the canal bank under the watchful eye of Paddy "Waxer" Dunne until she was purchased by Gerry Burke in August 1995. As there was no engine fitted she was sailed down the Canal and Shannon with two outboard engines mounted on to a bracket on the tiller. With no dry dock facilities on Lough Derg, she was pulled ashore with tractors in December of 1995.

In March 1996 she was sandblasted and painted and over the following months the bilges were re-plated on both sides. She was re launched (rolled back into the water) on June 9th, and the current engine was fitted the following week. She was used extensively in 1996 attending the 25th Shannon Harbour Canal Boat Rally and the Lough Derg Rally. While the living conditions were basic, with the crew sleeping on boards in the cargo hold under a leaky canvas cover, everybody had lots of fun. The following years saw the superstructure added, with twenty tonne of loose stone added as ballast. Work stopped each the summer while the crew enjoyed themselves. The winter (97/98) saw the addition of the wheelhouse and cabins started to appear down below.

Voyages for 1998 included trips to Belturbet and back as well as attending the Shannon Harbour & Derg Rallies. The following winter 98/99 saw the completion of the interior fitting out. 68M has visited Dublin twice, the first time was to attend the World Canal Conference and the official launch of the Heritage Boat Association (HBA). To mention a few other destinations, it's been to Limerick a number of times, as well as the Erne, Belleek, Boyle and Lough Allen and in 2005 we went down the Barrow to New Ross, up the Suir to Waterford & Carrick on Suir, to Inistiogue on the Nore and did some cruising in the estuary.

M Boats are often incorrectly referred to as Guinness boats, but having a liking for the stuff myself the interior is full of Guinness memorabilia. A keg of draught is kept aboard a few times a year and if that wasn't enough a few years ago we painted her Black and Cream.

Crew included-
"Old Gent" McDermott (Daingean) was her first Skipper, Dick Kearney was a greaser in 1939, at that time the crew were Paddy Connolly (Killina), Tom Hilbert (Ballyteague) and Gannon Melia (Ticknevin). Amby Dwyer (Newcastle), Tom Doonican (Pollagh) and Banagher Tom (Tom Carroll), Banagher Jack (Tom's brother), Jack Kearney (Dicks brother), "Baker" Sheridan (Littletown) was Skipper in the early 40's after that Gannon Melia was skipper from circ 1943-44 to 1946-47. Paddy Kearney (Dicks brother) and Bill Cox worked on her circ 1947. Anthony Donohue (Allenwood/Killaloe) was skipper when Tom Nolan took over from him around 1948. At that time Peter Brien was engine man and Tom's brother Paddy was deck hand. Tom stayed in charge of her until circa 1953, when Tom left his brother Paddy took over as skipper and his other brother Jack joined as deckhand.

Peadar Boland (Robertstown) worked on her for a short while in the early fifties. Peter Brien left in late 1954 and Tommy Anderson (Allenwood/Carlow) replaced him as engine man. Paddy Nolan was skipper for about eighteen months and was replaced by "Gurkyman" (Peter) Anderson (Tommy's brother). Around 1955 Paddy Doherty (Graiguenamagh) and his two sons John & Paddy took out 68M and worked her until she was laid up with all the other CIE boats when canal operations were halted at Christmas 1959.

In January 1960, 68M was brought back into service for six months to help in the decommissioning of the canal system and to continue drawing Guinness to Limerick. 'Waxer' (Paddy) Dunne was skipper, Tom Connolly was engine man and Tom "Mocus" Farrell (Ballyteague) was deck hand.

As a Maintenance Boat-

Willy Anger, Tommy "Skranny" Kelly (Rathdangan) and Kit Moran (Robertstown) were her crew from 1968 -72. Willy left in 1972 and Mick Donaher (Umeras Bridge) replaced him, that crew stayed in place until 1980.