Our canals are a much cherished resource and source of joy and tranquillity in our city. The Royal and the Grand are celebrated in plenty of literature and music about Dublin. If the Liffey is the heart running through the city, the Canals are the lungs of the city, providing unique corridors of biodiversity, giving people and wildlife place and space to breathe. And in recent times, refurbishment has resulted in increasing accessibility to walkers, cyclists and nature enthusiasts. We are thrilled to be partnering with Waterways Ireland this summer to highlight stories, initiatives and news about our canals in these pages and across our social channels.
We’ve even gone and commissioned illustrator Gav Connell to tie together our hopes and aspirations for the campaign in the form of his new character WaterMark. The message is one of love, and appreciation, but also an understanding that, as a community, we also bear responsibility for our canals. We know things haven’t been perfect, and there are many differing views. As such, ‘cleaning up our canal act’ is not meant to be a schoolteacher scold, but rather a call for us all to up our game whilst using and enjoying the canals.
We want this to spark discussions, new initiatives and support the ongoing development and improvement of all aspects of our encounters and experiences with our canals. We’d love to hear your thoughts, see your photos and get your take on what you love about the canals, any ideas you have that you have seen in other places. We’ll even consider publishing the best of them. Drop us a line editor@totallydublin.ie
