Offaly village plays key role as 161 year-old boat is brought back to life
The Offaly village of Shannon Harbour was the base, in the last few years, as one of the river Shannon's best-known vessels, which first came to midland shores in 1956, underwent a Herculean restoration job to get it back on the waves.
The historic SS Fox, once in the ownership of renowned Athlone bandleader and showband legend, the late Syd Shine, has undergone a complete refurbishment after Celbridge-based couple Dara and Helen O'Cionnaith, and it recently took part in the Inland Waterways Association of Ireland (IWAI) Shannon Boat Rally. The boat was also on display at Lough Ree Yacht Club, in Coosan, Athlone, after the club invited Dara and Helen to attend an annual event race.
And as Dara and Helen, and their children, has spent so much time docking at and enjoying what Shannon Harbour offers in recent years, they decided there was no better base from which to conduct much of the restoration.
A native of Westport with no previous familial ties to boating, Dara told the Offaly Independent: “It was in fairly poor condition when we acquired it. It was still floating but we spent the first six months working completely under the water. Its deck and super-structure were rotten and needed to be stripped-out. But look, we managed to get it as far as Shannon Harbour, as we visited there often and knew it as a great place for traditional boats to be repaired and maintained over the years. There is a huge level of knowledge in that area, and we felt it the perfect place for the work to take place,” he added.
Dara said he was always interested in taking on “a retirement project”, and after receiving redundancy, he felt the time was right to “get stuck into” a genuine labour of love.
But that wasn't before Dara and Helen consulted with their four children – Tadhg, Clodagh, Neasa and Cara – who were aged between six and 12 at the time. And when the children were enthused by the notion, it was time to get cracking on the project.
In 2019, the family purchased The SS Fox at Garrykennedy (Tipperary), which is known as a popular, picturesque stop for river cruisers, heritage boats and leisure craft exploring Lough Derg.
Its condition, however, was not good – hardly surprising given it was first constructed in 1865.
“We intially, as a family, had been working on the restoration of a small barge, but quickly felt like we needed something bigger and better to do. So, when the opportunity arose to acquire SS Fox, we were delighted to take it on,” said Dara.
Dara has been working “full-time” on the project for the past 18 months, and 2024 and 2025 proved huge years for progressing its progress.
During 2024, for example, bollards were installed, portholes restored, cleaned and sealed, the ship's wheel was restored, stairs fitted, mooring rings attached, spray foam completed, roof and decks prepped and painted, old shaft removed, new propeller removed and Ford Mermaid (engine) alignment completed.
It was hard work, Dara said, and the following year provided little by way of respite, as complicated works – including the interior fit-out, and installation of heating, electrics, water tanks, store, diesel heater, wheelhouse, cabins, and butterfly hatch.
One of the factors that inspired Dara and his wife throughout the project was the willingness of the children to stay involved in the project.
“It has been great working with the family and trying to pass on some of the skills and learnings to the next generation. They have been absolutely brilliant and key throughout the project, and I'm very proud of their involvement. The boat, afterall, is 50 years older than the Titanic – and the SS Fox is still floating!” he said.
Indeed it is. And recently, hundreds of people from the midlands region flocked to observe its renaissance at the Shannon Boat Rally when a large fleet gathered in Lanesborough and cruised down the river Shannon through Portrunny, Hodson Bay, and Shannonbridge, wrapping up with a gala in Athlone.
“It is the oldest Irish floating boat and that's why people are always engaged in and fascinated by SS Fox. I suppose it's a bit of a celebrity boat,” said Dara.
At the end of August, SS Fox's next public outing will be at Shannonbridge as part of National Heritage Week.
“We love the river and these events give us and the children a chance to meet friends we have made on the water over the years. The SS Fox is attracting so much attention and we expect it will be no different in the weeks, months and years to come,” Dara said.