Waterways Ireland win award for their project “A Boatman’s Journey – Grand Canal”.

Waterways Ireland was recently named a runner up in the Water Heritage category at the National Heritage Week Awards for their project “A Boatman’s Journey – Grand Canal”. This innovative storymap guides viewers through the heritage of the Grand Canal from a boatman’s perspective.

Pictured above at the awards ceremony are: Dr Martina Maloney, Chairperson of the Heritage Council Board; Margaret Morrissey, LAWPRO (Local Authority Water Programme) South East Region; Manus Tiernan, Waterways Ireland Education Officer; Martina McCarthy, Waterways Ireland Heritage Officer; Eibhlin Smith, Heritage Boat Association; Nuala Reilly, Waterways Ireland Archivist; Virginia Teehan, CEO of the Heritage Council and Sile Seoige. “A Boatman’s Journey” was a collaboration between Waterways Ireland, the Heritage Boat Association (HBA) and Inland Waterways Association of Ireland (IWAI) Offaly Branch.

Using a selection of Waterways Ireland’s archived resources combined with new multimedia content, the Storymap explores how the Grand Canal has connected communities, facilitated trade routes, created networks and shaped the cultural landscape of the area over the centuries.