Minesweeper, in Balbriggan Harbour

martinn123

Just came across this on www.balbriggan.info

http://www.balbriggan.info/portisham_mine_sweeper_to_be_removed_from_balbriggan_20feb13.shtml

Apparently we have a converted Royal Navy Minesweeper in Balbriggan.

Look like the owner has lost a High Court case to keep it there.

Anyone come across this Ship or its owner.

Balbriggan.info wrote:

The case brought against the owner of the Portisham Mine Sweeper which is moored in Balbriggan by Fingal County Council was brought to the High Court on Monday 18th February. Shane Kennedy (54) has lived on the former minesweeper Portisham which he bought in Essex, England, in 2007. The boat had been decommissioned by the Royal Navy in 1989.

Mr Kennedy paid €34,000 for the boat and estimates he has spent €70,000 doing it up and spent three years in the UK before sailing to Dublin. The port authorities refused to allow him to berth there, and he ended up in Balbriggan Harbour in October 2010. Fingal County Council, which controls and manages the harbour, became concerned at the condition of the vessel.

Cardinal Richelieu

martinn123 wrote: »

Just came across this on www.balbriggan.info

http://www.balbriggan.info/portisham_mine_sweeper_to_be_removed_from_balbriggan_20feb13.shtml

Apparently we have a converted Royal Navy Minesweeper in Balbriggan.

Look like the owner has lost a High Court case to keep it there.

Anyone come across this Ship or its owner.

Discussed before in the DCN off topic thread a couple of years back. The owner use to post here, just do a forum search for minesweeper.

martinn123

Cardinal Richelieu wrote: »

Discussed before in the DCN off topic thread a couple of years back. The owner use to post here, just do a forum search for minesweeper.

Oops, sorry

fergal.b

I know Shane well and a very nice man he is too Boats are in his blood and it's not surprising when you look at his life growing up http://www.iwai.ie/photoarchive/kennedy/slides/24.html I love boats and would prefer to see an old classic like HMS Portisham in a harbour than no boat she is a bit untidy but then again it is a building site and he is building his home.



I have a lot of respect for someone who spends this much time money and effort to fulfill there dream and wish him all the best with his appeal. On one of my trips down to the boat he gave me a light from the engine room where there was a fire caused by a cracked exhaust pipe, This is the light "sometimes you have to look past the mess to see the beauty"

Morpheus

similar boat which has been restored

http://www.flickr.com/photos/44646726@N05/4445295651

be sad to see her go

syklops

What is the county councils objection exactly?

And why did it have to go to the high court? Think of all the lawyers fees.

fergal.b

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syklops wrote: »

What is the county councils objection exactly?

And why did it have to go to the high court? Think of all the lawyers fees.

They say it's unsuitable for the harbour.

Cardinal Richelieu

Is it seaworthy? Surely a dry dock would be a better place to overhaul the vessel rather than a tidal harbour.

fergal.b

Cardinal Richelieu wrote: »

Is it seaworthy? Surely a dry dock would be a better place to overhaul the vessel rather than a tidal harbour.

I don't think we have a working dry dock big enough to take her at the moment in the republic plus I'd say the cost of renting one would be a small fortune :eek: He has fitted two new engines but still has a good bit of work to do to get her seaworthy.



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Kintarō Hattori

Damn this is a shame. I live in Balbriggan and see the boat every day. When the weather has been good and I've been out for a stroll I've walked along the harbour and exchanged pleasantries with him. I had no idea who he was or what he was doing exactly but I admired him for the work he was doing on the boat and for the fact that he made it his home.

He and the boat added a little bit of life into the area. I don't know anything about boats so I don't know if it's feasible but it'd be great to see him given more time to make his ambition a reality.

P_1

Strange one tbh, its not as if its taking up valuable space in the harbour and I presume he's paying his 'docking fees'.

Seems like annoying NIMBYism more than anything else.

Cardinal Richelieu

P_1 wrote: »

Strange one tbh, its not as if its taking up valuable space in the harbour and I presume he's paying his 'docking fees'.

Seems like annoying NIMBYism more than anything else.

I know people are slating FCC over this one but anyone that has read FCC area meetings will know that the main complaints came from Balbriggan Town Council. The argument is that the harbour is a protected structure under the Development Plan and is in need of strengthening. Vessels of this size are prohibited from using the harbour under the Harbour Bye Laws for that reason. When Dublin Port transferred over the Harbours into the hands of Fingal, Fingal alleges that they were in a terrible state and in need of great repair. The harbours while scenic, with the decline in the Fingal Fishing Industry don't make too much money in return these days.

http://www.fingalcoco.ie/minutes/meeting_doc.aspx?id=43398

P_1

Cardinal Richelieu wrote: »

I know people are slating FCC over this one but anyone that has read FCC area meetings will know that the main complaints came from Balbriggan Town Council. The argument is that the harbour is a protected structure under the Development Plan and is in need of strengthening. Vessels of this size are prohibited from using the harbour under the Harbour Bye Laws for that reason. When Dublin Port transferred over the Harbours into the hands of Fingal, Fingal alleges that they were in a terrible state and in need of great repair. The harbours while scenic, with the decline in the Fingal Fishing Industry don't make too much money in return these days.

http://www.fingalcoco.ie/minutes/meeting_doc.aspx?id=43398

So in essence it's none of balbriggan town councils business. Fingal are presumably being paid their rates for berthing here

Cardinal Richelieu

P_1 wrote: »

So in essence it's none of balbriggan town councils business. Fingal are presumably being paid their rates for berthing here

BTC is elected by the good people of Balbriggan...........

giant_midget

P_1 wrote: »

So in essence it's none of balbriggan town councils business. Fingal are presumably being paid their rates for berthing here

Exactly...bunch of chimps the town council are...they should stick to their photo shoots at "events" and keep their noses (or frog eyes ) out of peoples business..

fergal.b

If anything I'd say the boat is protecting the harbor:D and where she is moored is not used much by other boats for good reason :eek: I'm sure the harbor was built to be able to take a large fishing fleet back in the day and even some large steam ships.



Photos by Tony Healy from Balbriggan.net.

The Hill Billy

@giant-midget - Your insulting & very personal remarks are not acceptable in this forum.

tHB

P_1

What were the council's concerns?

Are they worried that the boat might explode or something, or is it a case of 'it looks ugly, get rid of it'?

Cardinal Richelieu

P_1 wrote: »

What were the council's concerns?

Are they worried that the boat might explode or something, or is it a case of 'it looks ugly, get rid of it'?

Some of the concerns are in the above posts but you can contact Balbriggan Town Councillors directly at link for more details. The former Green Party TC seems the main mover against the MineSweeper mooring.

sgarvan

I am not one for kicking someone out of their home, regardless if it is a non sea worthy boat or a house.

But this boat is an eyesore in the harbor. It is ugly lucky and dirty (litter).

Madpaddy79

I see she's on her way now. Currently off barnageeragh. CH16 could be interesting, given the last time she sailed across the Irish sea.

RobFowl

Madpaddy79 wrote: »

I see she's on her way now. Currently off barnageeragh. CH16 could be interesting, given the last time she sailed across the Irish sea.

Is she seriously on the move? Didn't look overly sea worthy to me (though I have no real knowledge of what is or isn't!)

Madpaddy79

Yep, defo is. Had to look in the harbour myself to make sure! Don't know if she was sailing or what, was a good bit out, hard to say if she was moving or stationary and tide was well out, so can't say if she'll be back or heading elsewhere.

dixierip

Madpaddy79 wrote: »

I see she's on her way now. Currently off barnageeragh. CH16 could be interesting, given the last time she sailed across the Irish sea.

Still there as of one hour ago. It seems it didn't go to far.

CorsendonkX

Madpaddy79 wrote: »

I see she's on her way now. Currently off barnageeragh. CH16 could be interesting, given the last time she sailed across the Irish sea.

HMS Example was off NCD today around the same time as your sighting.



It's a training ship for Northumbrian University Royal Naval Unit cadets.

Madpaddy79

CorsendonkX wrote: »

HMS Example was off NCD today around the same time as your sighting.



It's a training ship for Northumbrian University Royal Naval Unit cadets.

Wasn't that

Tails142

If someone like Shane spent a bit more time on the aesthetics of his boat he wouldn't receive half of the complaints. I lived in Balbriggan and before this court case came up he would have bits and pieces littered all around the harbour wall not to mention the junk on deck.

I notice the OP has quoted that he has spent 70,000 so far restoring it, hahaha good one.

If you go to any harbour around the country there is always some old wreck of a boat that is some loopers 'project'. The problem is when these 'aul characters' leave this world, they leave the tax payer to clean up their mess because their families if they even have ones want nothing to do with it. This generally involves paying someone to come in and scrap the boat which ends up costing tens of thousands of euro, and it does, don't even bother thinking about the scrap value of steel because when it comes to a boat they have to be lifted out/dry docked, cut up, oils and hazardous materials disposed of and that all costs money.

It's a lovely idea, restore an old minesweeper, nice bit of heritage... maybe the recent Euromillions winner would be able to afford it but not your average man on the street.

martinn123

CorsendonkX wrote: »

HMS Example was off NCD today around the same time as your sighting.



It's a training ship for Northumbrian University Royal Naval Unit cadets.

maybe they want their money back.:D

RobFowl

Was there at lunchtime and still there in the harbour.....

fergal.b

She doesn't look too bad there compered to when she first arrived.





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