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Canal Bank S.W.A.L.K. is a summer initiative betw
een Waterways Ireland and Totally Dublin in which we tell you tales of people and initiatives along our canals. The title illustration is by Gav Connell. YE VAGABONDS AND THEIR SLOW BARGE SETS Folk duo Ye Vagabonds have been planning a very ambitious and novel trip for over a year now, and in August they will take to the inland waterways of Ireland for over a month. They will travel by barge alongside the filmmaker Myles O’Reilly, and will perform small, informal ‘happenings’ of many different strands throughout the smattering of counties that encompass the River Shannon, the River Barrow, and the Royal and Grand canals. It is an exercise in slow touring - rejecting the planes, trains and automobile for a slow moving barge, as well as getting to know about the history, folklore and song of some of Ireland’s lesser heralded gems. Diarmuid Mac Gloinn has this to say about the tour: “We’re so excited to get out there on this trip. A river tour has been a pipe dream of ours for years but there’s never been a more perfect time for it. Everything outdoors! What was always a bit of a mad idea now seems obvious. It’s hard to imagine returning to normal gigs after the weird hiatus we’ve all experienced so it’s great that we’re returning with some really abnormal gigs instead. “All tours are partly about people we meet along the way, but on this tour we’re planning to really involve guests in chats, tunes, collaborations, whatever happens! Most tours we see the venues and one corner of each town before we jump back into the monotone of motorways. This time it’s really about the journey too. And it’s also time-travel; waterways are the oldest roads and time moves differently when you’re on the water.” More information will be available in due course at yevagabonds.com and on their social media pages. DIGITAL ARCHIVE LAUNCH Waterways Ireland’s Digital Archive which spans over 7,800 items has been launched. It contains a range of collections from engineering maps and drawings, an oral history collection, and the donated collections of Dr Ian Bath, Ruth Delany and Charlie Hayden which includes slides, photos, videos and documents of the Royal Canal, the River Shannon and beyond. Visitors to the site will also be able to view themed exhibitions, stories and timelines of the waterways as well as listen to stories, see videos from the last 60 years and view over 200 years of waterway engineering history. archive.waterwaysireland.org