I concluded the last blog by saying how, in the event of a little flood water and a falling tide, it must have been really awkward to get an unpowered  barge through Kearney's Bridge on the Clodiagh River.  Having been involved in just such a nightmare scenario, I can confirm that it is indeed a little tricky.  That this was not some faithful re-enactment of bygone barging days but  the only possible option in a crisis will be made clear as you read on. Whatever the reason, it is probably a hundred years since this was last done and, quiet possibly, it will never be done again. These Heavy Metal boys certainly take gathering knowledge and experience to extremes.

The run started well enough with two of the boats at Portlaw, 72M and Trust Me Scout (TMS) being turned on the high tide in the breaking light of a damp dawn. For their crews the thought of making an unbroken run to St Mullins in one go had been considered a bit too much, but 68M and Aqualegia were to remain on the river to meet and greet the Portlaw Heritage Group before following on 24 hours later.  Going downstream the flow on the river was evidenced by the difficulty both crews had in keeping out of the trees hanging over the water on the outside of bends, and the sound of crushing foliage accompanied them until, just above the bridge, the river widened and straightened.  The lack of clearance at the bridge meant there was no rush and it was while idling down this stretch that 72M's engine started to play up. Riding alongside in the dinghy I listened to it slowing, and then going again.  Then it stopped.  We were only a couple of hundred yards upstream of the bridge at this point and while Ronnie disappeared into a smoke filled engine room, I used the dinghy to prevent the barge turning on the flow and to keep it in the channel. We had very little time and no room to work the anchor on the bow before, with a bit of a bang, 72M came to rest across Kearney's Bridge. Fortunately the river had fallen enough for this to be below the buttresses so there was no danger of her hanging as the tide dropped. Emerging from his engine room, Ronnie announced the bad news: an oil pipe had blown  and the engine was seized.

Knowing there was a deep pool, one of very few on the whole length of the river, just below the bridge, a rope was run round a buttress in readiness for Ronnie to pick it up once we were through. Watching all this from just upstream were Ken and Bernie on TMS who had managed to get their own rope round a tree and  were constantly checking the depth under them to make sure they too did not end up in trouble.  Also watching, but unable to physically help due to the distance down to the boats, was Gerry on the bridge. Nothing could be done until the river had fallen enough for 72M to fit under the arch and we all waited a tense hour for this to happen. Once it had, the problem was getting the bow upstream enough for the stern to swing under the larger central arch, something that was only managed by poling off the bridge structure and with the dinghy pushing the bow upstream from under the smaller eastern arch. We made it, and Ronnie picked up the stopping rope earlier put in place. At least he was safe for the present.  The river was still falling at some pace and it was not long before TMS was able to have a go. It too had a moment of steel on brick before sliding through to join Ronnie. With boats and crews safe ropes were run round trees to secure them as squarely as possible in the deepest water. And that was that: the engine was not going to repair itself and TMS was not powerful enough to safely tow it to either Carrick or Waterford, the crews settled down to await the arrival of 68M and Aqualegia the following morning. Using the dinghy to get ashore I cadged a lift off Gerry in order to collect Ronnie's car and go back to Graignamanagh: for me the day was far from over as I had promised to collect folk who had left their cars in Graig when starting up the Barrow towards Athy that morning. A long day was finally completed when, having helped three boats through both Fenniscourt and Bagnehalstown locks (a job made much easier with the arrival of the lockeeper, John O Neil, who kindly worked well past his eight o' clock finish time) I returned to Hawthorn some time around nine.

Another early start on the Sunday morning saw me arrive at Kearney's Bridge at seven. 72M and TMS remained roped together in the deep pool and 68M and Agualegia were waiting above the bridge - with the tide turning an hour later they had been able to make the run downstream both against the tide and in the light, an option that gave them a lot more control. 72M, having been backed through the bridge the day before, needed turning. We did this with ease and, once we had added some extra ropes to hold the rest of the fleet when they were through the bridge, we sat about chatting while the tide fell. Leaving their passage as late as possible 68M and Aqualegia had a lot more air-draft and, with the tide having nearly gone and less fresh water in the river, they made a much easier passage through. The fleet was soon re-assembled and another long wait begun as the plan was for Gerry to tow 72M up to Carrick on Suir behind 68M, something that was only going to be possible on a rising tide. Unfortunately, the previous day's flood water had masked the rocks that both Aqualegia and 68M came to rest on: the smaller of the boats ending up at a very unpleasant angle.

Several hours later, with the tide having re-floated the two beached boats, it was time to go. 72M was roped to the stern of 68M, Aqualegia led off, and the run to Carrick started.  Working against the flooding tide down the Clodiagh did not prove to difficult and in less than half an hour the welcoming broad width of the Suir was joined.  With the tide behind us good speed was made and the bridge at Fiddown passed after a nervous few minutes on 72M when the run across the tide to the far side of the bridge seemed to take for ever - we'd been lucky when lying against Kearney's Bridge the day before and knew that hitting this one was going to be an awful lot nastier. Once again the local boating community proved what stalwarts they are when, returning from a weekend in Waterford, they shot past to ready the jetty for the incoming Heavy Metal, also going on ahead to help with ropes were the other two HBA boats. A little bit of 'tree work' in the narrow cut below Carrick, and some fendering off of boats on the jetty,  and we were nearly in. The tow was dropped, lines thrown to the many willing hands on the jetty and we were secure. All that remained was to breath a huge sigh of relief and to thank Gerry for such a fine tow - towing, however lightly Gerry dismissed it, is not easy as the lead boat takes a lot longer to respond than normal and then only does so very reluctantly. Add in a following tide and you have a difficult mix.

The good news, and again there always is some, was that Ronnie and Mary were able to go and celebrate their wedding anniversary with friends in Carrick and forget about the dead engine for a bit. Bearing in mind neither had been off the boat in over 48 hours, and all that they had been through, the pub must have seemed like heaven. Even better news followed the next day when, having stripped the engine down to find the main bearings were rather more attached to the crank than they should have been, Ronnie rang to say he had parts on the way and all should be back together shortly. With a bit of luck the 'Five Sisters Fleet' ( those that did the rivers Pil and Clodiagh are entitled to such an extension) will be joining the remaining 'Three Sisters Fleet' at Graig this coming weekend.

Any thoughts, or hopes, of making the National Ploughing Championships in Athy later in the month have gone as the river, despite the recent rain, has stubbornly refused to rise. Well it did, by all of three inches for a couple of days at the end of last week but the weekend saw it drop again and it continues to drop daily.  It seems we are going to be here for at least another fortnight….,

Apologies for the absence of pictures with this post but I was more than a little pre-occupied with events to run about taking them.

I have had a little feedback since posting the previous Clodiagh river blog: it seems I am mistaken in thinking horses would have been used with the barges on this river - they would have been poled up and down with the tide.  I have also been given mapped evidence suggesting Kearney's Bridge was built in the 1820s.