Photograph of Heritage Grand Canal Boats at Banagher

The Heritage Boat Association (HBA) is a group of people dedicated to the preservation of the old canal boats that once delivered goods along the inland waterways of Ireland—mainly the Grand Canal, the Royal Canal, the River Shannon and its great loughs, the River Barrow and a short stretch up the River Suir from the Barrow to Waterford.

Boats have been salvaged, some from the depths of lough and canal, and renovated to be used for leasure and pleasure. A few, including the famous 45M that sank on Lough Derg with the loss of three lives, have been restored to their original working condition. 45M featured in the internationally acclaimed RTE series Waterways hosted by Dick Warner.

The canal boats ceased to work the waterways in the 1950's, though some were retained for canal maintenance work. This photo shows a few of the boats, along with some less interesting modern craft, that gathered on the Shannon in Banagher for the 2006 Annual Boatmen's Reunion Dinner.