Museum of the Waterways
What we offer is somewhere between a museum and an interpretive centre, allowing you an immersion in the history of the Irish waterways.
From construction ca. 1812 our building was a node on the Irish waterways system, a 'canal store'. Our intention is to restore it as a key point on the waterways, recognising that usage of the waterways has changed from commercial to recreational. There is currently no other place on the island, where the public can learn about nearly two hundred years in which our waterways served as the main system for heavy commercial transport.
We are growing organically. The map below gives you some sense of the information panels and displays. Best you come in yourself!
The Barge Cinema
Within the cabin of the old 47M, you can watch over 40 minutes of extraordinary cinematic footage, shot on the Irish Waterways between 1940 and 1961. Robert (Bob)
Shortall of New Ross, a man of great foresight, created this movie record, allowing us to peer back in time at the people and operation of the waterways.
These movies were painstakingly recovered and remastered by Ireland’s photographic archivist extraordinaire, Andrew Kelly of Kilmacthomas. Below is a small taster of the window they left open for us.