The Cong Canal (aka The Dry Canal) in County Mayo, Ireland

[Harrytherid]

Excellent, inspired me to get my camera out again and do some more videos though having a speech impediment and a southeast London accent I use text rather than narration. My Cornish Spring video has been well received by those who have seen it and if anyone wants me to I will post it.

 

[izwozral]

Excellent, inspired me to get my camera out again and do some more videos though having a speech impediment and a southeast London accent I use text rather than narration. My Cornish Spring video has been well received by those who have seen it and if anyone wants me to I will post it.

Yes please.

 

[Robmac]

Such a refreshing change. Many YT vids start with some Yank shouting "Heyyyyyy whassapppppp!" I usually love those.

Actually I don't, they make me puke.

 

[Robmac]

Thank you, it took a lot of work to put it together. I have had a love of canals since I was a boy and this particular canal had always nagged away at the back of my mind as something to investigate and to document further.

I have also loved canals and all waterways really since being very small. I was born in a pub called the Regent Wharf in Loughborough which was opposite the wharf on the Grand Union. It was the last days of the bargee's and those that remained used to come in the pub regularly.

At school I did a project on the Grand Union for my Geography course and it was the most I have enjoyed schoolwork at any time.

 

[Fisherman]

Regarding famine and this project the navvies taken on at the outset were in extremely poor health and probably made ineffective workers.

Their health improved as their length of employment grew so there was certainly a social benefit in this project's initiation if not completion. Apparently the workforce threatened strike action in support of a better wage!

I take no credit for unearthing the majority of the information. The two books referenced, and especially Peter Dillon's tome, provide a wealth of detail about the project. Peter Dillon makes explicit reference to some appalling political decisions by the British government that worsened greatly the plight of those starving to death. It was not a glorious episode in relatively recent British history.

You realise their plight to the full when you discover that many of those who emigrated to the USA walked across Ireland along the route of the Royal Canal.

And visiting a mass grave with thousands of unnamed souls beneath a fairly small grass covered area is a painful reminder.

Every historian refers to other authors in their text, and acknowledge them in a section of their book. The fact is you knew about this unusual project, and did your research which had to include works by other historians on this subject. I am sure if Peter Dillon is still with us, and watched your video he would also offer his compliments.

 

[Canalsman]

Every historian refers to other authors in their text, and acknowledge them in a section of their book. The fact is you knew about this unusual project, and did your research which had to include works by other historians on this subject. I am sure if Peter Dillon is still with us, and watched your video he would also offer his compliments.

Oh yes he's still around.

I've asked the publishers of his book to send him a link to the video.

 

[Fisherman]

Oh yes he's still around.

I've asked the publishers of his book to send him a link to the video.

Well hopefully he will see it, and make favourable comments.
His content being mainly the spoken word.
Yours offers a visual account, a whole new dimension for people to appreciate.
Every picture is worth a thousand words, how many words for a video that actually takes you there.

 

[Robmac]

Thank you, it took a lot of work to put it together. I have had a love of canals since I was a boy and this particular canal had always nagged away at the back of my mind as something to investigate and to document further.

I have some unusual heroes (in that they are not many other peoples heroes in the conventional sense of the word!) and one of them is Tom Rolt.

I feel sure that you will be familiar with his writing?

 

[Canalsman]

I have some unusual heroes (in that they are not many other peoples heroes in the conventional sense of the word!) and one of them is Tom Rolt.

I feel sure that you will be familiar with his writing?

Absolutely. His book Narrow Boat was the first canal book I read when I was a boy!

 

[Robmac]

Absolutely. His book Narrow Boat was the first canal book I read when I was a boy!

Ditto!

 

[korky]

Really enjoyed the vid,thank you,very professionly put together.I Iove canals and have cycled many,mainly in France though.
Over here, we used to get called in to rescue the fish when they were dewatering a section or lock in the Notts.,Derby and Leicester areas. Spent many happy but tiring hours wading around in the gloop at the bottom and have an interesting bottlle collection to show for it.

 

[Canalsman]

Well hopefully he will see it, and make favourable comments.
His content being mainly the spoken word.
Yours offers a visual account, a whole new dimension for people to appreciate.
Every picture is worth a thousand words, how many words for a video that actually takes you there.

I have received a critique of the video from the author of the book about the Cong Canal, Peter Dillon:

"I have viewed Chris’s video a number of times and think it is a
brilliant piece of work. His camera work and drone work capture well the
main features of the canal as well as the lush countryside through which
it flows. His clear narration complemented by the gentle background
music summarises in twenty minutes the essential story of the Cong
Canal. The video deserves wide viewing, not just in Cong – where I am
sure it will be a hit – but in the wider YouTube viewing public. Please
pass on my congratulations to Chris for an excellent production and my
thanks to him for forwarding the video link."

There are a significant number of views originating in Ireland which is very pleasing. I'm glad to have contributed to the documentation of a small part of local Irish history.

 

[Fisherman]

I have received a critique of the video from the author of the book about the Cong Canal, Peter Dillon:

"I have viewed Chris’s video a number of times and think it is a
brilliant piece of work. His camera work and drone work capture well the
main features of the canal as well as the lush countryside through which
it flows. His clear narration complemented by the gentle background
music summarises in twenty minutes the essential story of the Cong
Canal. The video deserves wide viewing, not just in Cong – where I am
sure it will be a hit – but in the wider YouTube viewing public. Please
pass on my congratulations to Chris for an excellent production and my
thanks to him for forwarding the video link."

There are a significant number of views originating in Ireland which is very pleasing. I'm glad to have contributed to the documentation of a small part of local Irish history.

And I agree totally Chris.

I reckon everyone will agree, it’s a really great video, on a unique interesting subject.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

What a well executed video with excellent narration it was like the Beeb used to be.

I live for a while in the village of Wilmorton in Derby and the was a canal about 100 feet from our front door that had been filled in, I once tried to follow it's path but this wasn't really possible.

The canal ran between the rec and the houses.

Wilmorton · Derby

Derby

www.google.co.uk

 

[trevskoda]

Interesting about canals/rivers, two pas behind my hovel, one is marked on the maps and joins one not marked which is culverted under my garage & joins the marked one.
It then reapears near the motorway and is open to pattersons old spade mill where it goes on to the oller known as the six mile by the english name.
This joins Lough neagh giving naavagation to all of ulster.
This was used by the vikings to drag boats from Belfast lough to L Neagh, from here the could also navagate to the Bain going out to sea at Portstewart.
So if i find any gold helmets rings etc i shall be typing from somewhere warm & dry, defo not here.
My home is behind swanston/Mossgrove school right and of Burneys lane, im on the corner of the last dead end street.

 

[Fisherman]

Interesting about canals/rivers, two pas behind my hovel, one is marked on the maps and joins one not marked which is culverted under my garage & joins the marked one.
It then reapears near the motorway and is open to pattersons old spade mill where it goes on to the oller known as the six mile by the english name.
This joins Lough neagh giving naavagation to all of ulster.
This was used by the vikings to drag boats from Belfast lough to L Neagh, from here the could also navagate to the Bain going out to sea at Portstewart.
So if i find any gold helmets rings etc i shall be typing from somewhere warm & dry, defo not here.
My home is behind swanston/Mossgrove school right and of Burneys lane, im on the corner of the last dead end street.View attachment 136175View attachment 136176View attachment 136177View attachment 136178

Hovel, I like it Trev.
I’m sure to be sure it’s a homely house you have Trev.

 

[trevskoda]

Hovel, I like it Trev.
I’m sure to be sure it’s a homely house you have Trev.

Started out with a few stone a we while back.

 

[Canalsman]

What a well executed video with excellent narration it was like the Beeb used to be.

I live for a while in the village of Wilmorton in Derby and the was a canal about 100 feet from our front door that had been filled in, I once tried to follow it's path but this wasn't really possible.

The canal ran between the rec and the houses.

Wilmorton · Derby

Derby

www.google.co.uk

I've devised a technique to improve the narration.

I record the narration whilst editing the video, it's called a voiceover, then with the wonders of AI I convert the recording to text.

I then edit the text to create a script which I use to re-record the voiceover.

It makes for a much more coherent narration.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

Whatever you do it works pretty well Chris.