The River Barrow

Curran, Richard, Boatman Case 29029
At great personal risk, rescued a boy from drowning in the Barrow at Tinnehinch, Co. Carlow, 14th August, 1897.

Source: Royal Humane Society Bronze Medal Citations Taken from The Annual Report for 1897
Compiled by Bill Fevyer http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~tamarnet/bronz97s.htm

BIGLEY, John. Boatman

My Great-Grandfather John Bigley was listed as living in Henry Street, Graiguecullen in 1870 when his daughter was born and his occupation was as a boatman. I hadn't realised that the houses in Henry street were bought for the boatmen to live in.

Regards Esther Butcher butchers@utvinternet.com

Miceal O Braonain Some further info on this photo taken from the Heuston Collection. Across the river in Carlow town Graiguecullen had its own long quay and it was here that the private canal boats were to be found. Remember the boat owning families of the Moores and Farrells. Then one could know whether a boat was company or private as private boats carried the prefix ‘B’ and then their number, e.g. B-16 whilst the Grand Canal Company boats had the letter ‘M’ followed by their number, e.g. M-56. Canal Boats normally did not have names; On the River Navigation the company did have the ‘St. Patrick’, ‘St. Brigid’ and ‘St. James’; whilst on the Suir one remembers the ‘Knocknagow 1’, ‘Knocknagow II’ and ‘Rock Sand’ of Dowleys running to Carrick-on-Suir.

Joe Maher When the barges used to stop in Graigue, donkeys and carts would be waiting with horse and car to deliver the goods to the shops..some traders would send up cargo to Dublin. later lorry's would appear to do the work and that was the end of the working barges.

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