Mulholland Bros has purchased a new 55 metre barge as part of ongoing investment in dredging operations at Lough Neagh.

With a 6.5 metre beam, a 2.9 metre draught and weighing 250 tonnes, Cornelis SR will be the largest sand dredger operating on the lough. When fully commissioned, the barge will have the capacity to carry 400 tonnes per trip – over 300,000 tonnes a year.

The barge was built in Holland and was purchased from a local family who lived on board and transported cargo for a living on the Rhine Canal system.

Following inspection in a dry dock, the vessel set out on a five-day voyage to Lisahally Port in Derry where it was prepared for one of the largest road transport operations ever seen in Ireland.

Two 500/t cranes lifted the barge out of the water onto a special road trailer. The wheelhouse of the vessel had to be removed to comply with height restrictions identified by a structural survey of bridges on the route. Many roads were closed and in Dungiven street lighting, road signs and overhead cables had to be moved to enable Cornelis SR to pass through.

The journey took over ten hours to cover a distance of 44 miles.

At Toomebridge, the barge was transferred to a specially built slip and placed on plinths before being lifted into the lough. The barge was then towed to Sandy Bay, where it was converted to a sand barge by the Mulhollands team.