Limerick's new marina was expected to grace the city's quaysides with yachts and give new life to its maritime heritage. There is just one problem: there are no boats.
Yacht-owners have failed to use the berths along Arthur's Quay and George's Quay in the six weeks of the £3.35 million marina's operation.
Yesterday morning there was just one boat alongside the 290-metre moorings, which can take an average of 29 vessels.
The agencies behind the scheme, Waterways Ireland, Limerick Corporation and Shannon Development, have stressed that the marina came on stream at the end of the season and that traffic passing through the Ardnacrusha lock gates in six weeks has exceeded the total figure of 100 from last year.
The problem with the system is that it is tidal, and a confluence of tide, rainfall and the operation of the turbines at the nearby Ardnacrusha hydroelectric station leads to strong currents along the Abbey river, the dredged waterway which meanders through Limerick's city centre.
The station manager at Ardnacrusha, Mr Bob Cullen, said 400 tonnes of water per minute is discharged when the four turbines of the 85 megawatt station are operating.
"As far as the flows in the Shannon are concerned, they have not changed," he said.
Boat-hire companies in Killaloe and further up the Shannon have not allowed people to take cruisers down the river this season. A fortnight ago a barge-owner chose to tie up his vessel at Matthew Bridge rather than attempt to sail under it.
Mr Billy Carroll, of Ireland Line Cruisers, said boats with smaller engines were unable to tackle strong currents.
"At the moment, for the typical Shannon cruiser there are times of the day when it cannot pass through."
But he added that when charts of the system become available he would allow his cruisers to travel the 15 miles to Limerick. "There possibly is a scheme that can be introduced in the short term whereby boats going downriver could pick up a pilot on one side of Limerick and the pilot could navigate them through, and the same coming out, if it was necessary."
One yachtsman said some boaters were afraid to travel down the system. Last weekend 10 boats were supposed to travel from Killaloe in a rally organised by the Inland Waterways Association of Ireland. That number dipped to four and then rose to seven.
The weather and some gentle persuasion helped, according to Mr Gerry Burke of the Inland Waterways Association of Ireland.
"People were just a little bit apprehensive and needed to be encouraged down along. You can encourage people when they are in a group," he said.
"We had textbook conditions, we had sunshine, no wind and no current. It was absolutely perfect, a wonderful trip."
Mr Ray Dunne, the general manager of Waterways Ireland, met corporation and Shannon Development representatives to discuss the £3.35 million scheme.
He said a study of the "flow regime" would be carried out over the next fortnight so that a handbook on navigating during the tidal cycle could be produced.
An instrument to measure the flow would also be installed and the information relayed to boaters. Gates and access points to moorings would also be installed for security purposes.
He added that the scheme's purpose had been to increase the "navigation window" from 20 minutes a day to 16 hours a day. "We are satisfied that the scheme has achieved what it set out to do. Having said that, the Limerick navigation is certainly unique in the Shannon system insofar as, apart from it being a waterway, you have the added complications of a tidal cycle and also the unique characteristics associated with Ardnacrusha."
The city manager, Mr Brendan Keating, said he had been encouraged by the level of activity so far. "What it represents to us is a huge opportunity. We have other things to do such as opening up the access points and improving the walks," he said.
Mr Frank Larkin, of Shannon Development, said the marina would be marketed at the national boat show next spring. "There are something like 5,000 boats on the inland waterway system," he added.