‘Waterways Through Time’ series delves into recent history
New Waterways Ireland podcast also explores how the Vikings and the Normans changed the landscape of Ireland’s rivers and lakes
What impact did the Vikings and the Normans have on Ireland’s inland waterways? How did Turlough O’Connor earn the moniker ‘King of the Water’? How did the Knights Templar use the waterways during the Anglo-Norman invasion? Those are just some of the questions historian Turtle Bunbury tackles in the second series of the ‘Waterways Through Time’ podcast.
Commissioned by Waterways Ireland, the eight-part series also looks at the history of Ireland’s inland waterways in more recent times. This includes the voyage of the Guinness barges from St James Gate in Dublin along the canals through the Irish countryside; the story of the 45M barge, which sank on Lough Derg in 1946 with the loss of three crew members and was raised in 1975 and subsequently restored, and what exciting artefacts underwater archaeology of Irish waterways has revealed.
The chief executive of Waterways Ireland, John McDonagh, said: “Ireland’s inland waterways, of which Waterways Ireland is a custodian, have a fascinating history. We are delighted to work with Turtle Bunbury to uncover these stories and to bring them to life for a new audience.
“This research, in turn, augments Waterways Ireland’s fantastic archive, which covers more than 200 years of Ireland’s waterways. I would encourage anyone interested in this history to check out the more than 7,000 records on file. These include engineering drawings, dating from the 1800s, photo archives and film charting lives spent on the water.”
Turtle Bunbury developed and presents the series, which contains a mix of stories, historical events and contemporary interviews. He said: “When you slow down the past, it becomes increasingly clear how much the island’s inland waterways have played in the evolution of our history.
“The Vikings recognised rivers as the arteries which gave this country life, and they ruthlessly exploited them to their benefit. The Normans and Gaelic kings did likewise. The waterways were our borders, our highways, our supply corridors, our everything.
“A strong sense of that pivotal role continues to the present day, as became quite clear when I enjoyed a series of fascinating interviews for this new series with an underwater archaeologist, a canal historian, the owner of an epic barge and an eloquent boating guru.’
‘Waterways Through Time 2’ is available now on the Waterways Ireland archive website and on all podcast outlets.
The Waterways Ireland archive covers more than 200 years of Ireland’s inland waterways. Comprising more than 7,000 records, it includes engineering drawings dating from the 18th century; photo archives, and film.
Episode 1: The Vikings
The golden age for Christianity in Ireland comes to an end as Vikings arrive on Irish shores and nudge their longships up the river to plunder the Irish interior. This episode charts the impact of the Vikings on the Shannon, the Erne, the Barrow and the Bann, with a focus on the warlord Turgesius, who ruled over Lough Ree, and the rise of High King Brian Boru.
Episode 2: Turlough O’Connor, King of the Water
The extraordinary story of the O’Connor king who ruled Ireland for 35 years, during which time his extensive fleet took control of the Shannon and the Erne, built bridges and castles along the waters, and reshaped a large stretch of the Shannon region to build a new border against his enemies to the south and east.
Episode 3: The Normans
This episode tells the tale of the Anglo-Norman invasion through the men who built the castles at Athlone, the Rinndown peninsula, and McDermott’s Castle on Lough Key, as well as along the Barrow, featuring a cast of warrior-bishops, Flemish wool traders and Knights Templar who dominated the waterways.
Episode 4: The Maguires, Princes of Lough Erne
This episode explores the Maguires, the Irish clan that held power and influence in the Lough Erne region in the 13th century. Skilled sailors and fishermen, they used their knowledge of the lake to establish a thriving trade network that extended beyond their own territories, constructing a number of fortified castles and strongholds along the shore of the lake to help secure their control over the surrounding lands.
Episode 5: The Secrets of the Barrow (Interview with Cliff Reid)
Boating guru Cliff Reid of www.boattrips.ie discusses the glorious historical, geographical and natural elements of the River Barrow, the second-longest river in Ireland.
Episode 6: The Voyage from St. James’s Gate (Interview with Cathy Scuffil)
Turtle talks with historian, Cathy Scuffil, about one of the most iconic aspects of the Canal Age – the sight of barges laden with Guinness barrels voyaging through the Irish countryside.
Episode 7: 45 M (Interview with Susie Coote)
Susie Coote, owner of the 45M barge, tells the story of the boat that sank on Lough Derg in 1946 with the loss of three of their crew, and how it was raised in 1975 by the late Donnacha Kennedy and purchased by her late father David Coote.
Episode 8: Hidden Treasures of the Waterways (Interview with Connie Kelleher)
Turtle talks with marine archaeologist, Dr Connie Kelleher, about the exciting revelations of underwater archaeology on Irish waterways from Neolithic log boats to battle debris from the treasures of the modern age.
About Waterways Ireland
Waterways Ireland is a cross-border body accountable to the North South Ministerial Council under the 1998 British-Irish Agreement. The organisation is headquartered in Enniskillen and has satellite offices in Dublin, Carrick-on-Shannon, and Scarriff.
Its staff are deployed across the management, maintenance, development and promotion of over 1,000kms of inland navigable waterways. Waterways Ireland assets contribute approximately €560m in economic, societal and environmental value annually.
The waterways estate comprises Grand Canal; Royal Canal; Barrow; Shannon, Shannon-Erne; Erne; Ulster Canal and Lower Bann navigations.
About Turtle Bunbury
Turtle Bunbury is a bestselling author, historian and podcaster based in Ireland. He has previously produced a successful podcast series called ‘Vanishing Ireland’, which is available on all platforms.
His latest book, ‘The Irish Diaspora’ is described by BBC History Magazine as “impeccably researched”. Sebastian Barry applauded Turtle’s bestseller ‘Ireland’s Forgotten Past’ as “a stirring atlas of Irishness”. Visit turtlebunbury.com to find out more.