Boats: IWAI Dublin Rally 2012 (Inland Waterways Association Of Ireland)

Boats: IWAI Dublin Rally 2012 (Inland Waterways Association Of Ireland), originally uploaded by infomatique.

Royal Canal Lock beside the Convention Centre is the beginning of an exciting journey organized by the Inland Waterways Association Of Ireland (IWAI Dublin Rally 2012)

The Royal Canal is a canal originally built for freight and passenger transportation from the River Liffey at Dublin to the River Shannon at Cloondara in County Longford in Ireland. It fell into disrepair, but has since been restored for navigation. The full length of the canal was re-opened on 1 October 2010.

The Inland Waterways Association of Ireland is a voluntary body of inland waterways enthusiasts. They advocate the use, maintenance, protection, restoration and improvement of the inland waterways of Ireland. The association was founded in 1954 to campaign for the conservation and development of the waterways and in particular their preservation as working navigations. When the Shannon was almost totally undeveloped for pleasure boating, IWAI fought the building of low bridges, thus ensuring the development of the river as an asset for all to use and enjoy. In the 1960s IWAI successfully fought plans to close the Circular Line of the Grand Canal in Dublin. Later the association campaigned for the re-opening of the Ballinamore & Ballyconnell Canal (now the Shannon-Erne Waterway) and the Naas line of the Grand Canal. Their formal Goals are stated below.

IWAI is the voice of waterways users and enthusiasts. It represents the views of members to governments (NI & RoI), to Waterways Ireland and other navigation authorities, to local authorities and the range of statutory and state-sponsored bodies whose activities impinge on the waterways in one way or another.