Tuesday 12th December 2017: 9.05am. Location: 53°22'42.8"N 6°35'23.3"W.
Canal is still frozen over, but the swans are quite good as ice breakers. They basically charge the ice and flex it up and down until it breaks. All the alcohol bottles frozen in the water are from last night, when I came home from work Maynooth was heaving with very drunk students which in combination with the ice was causing many falls which I suppose they won't notice till this morning. I must assume some went to the canal last night to throw stuff at the ice to break it, it does make a terrific noise. Like a musical instrument if you don't break it, the whole sheet twangs in vibration. And then crunchy if you do break it. I guess it beats smashing windows or joy riding.
