On the 19th day of June in the year 2014 I captured the barge known as ’77M’ on the Grand canal near Killeen bridge, County Offaly. It was heading West. It is a beautiful old heritage barge built in 1937.
According to the heritage Boat Association:
77M was built in 1937 by the Ringsend Dockyard Company and known as a McMillen boat after the boat builder. Together with 78M and 79M she was built slightly longer and wider than the standard M boat, so she measured 61 ft 9 ins by 13 ft 3 ins.
In the early 1950’s Eddie Cummins from Edenderry worked with Paddy Aungier on this boat. Poor old Eddie had a sad ending when he drowned off 77M in Daingean in 1954/5. It happened while loading beet around Christmas time.
Read more on their website:
Heritage Boat Association
