Lough Ramor €300,000 marina completed

Sean McMahon

The region’s tourism facilities got a boost with the completion of the €300,000 Ramor Sports Club marina on the shores of Lough Ramor just outside Virginia. Diving, fishing, windsurfing, kite surfing, sailing, skiing and all water based activities will all be possible from the impressive new marina.
Located in front of the Lakeside Manor Hotel, it is the only one of its kind in the region.
“There is no other water facility of this nature on a closed water system in Cavan or Monaghan – so this is a very welcome tourism asset to the two counties”, said John Toland, development officer with Cavan/Monaghan Leader.
It is the culmination of a lot of hard work by Ramor Sports Club who set up a project team with chairman John Wilson taking on project manager responsibilities, assisted by John McCourt, (secretary) and Conor Byrne, (health and safety officer). The marina was designed with the help of the Inland and Coastal Marina Systems.

Enthusiasts
“It is really fantastic,” enthused Mr Wilson, adding that it will “improve access to Ramor for all watersports enthusiasts”.
To make their ambitions a reality, Ramor Sports Club applied for grant aid for the project over a year ago, and they were delighted to be awarded the maximum grant aid possible of €200,000 by Cavan Monaghan Leader.
One of the conditions of the grant is that one third of the marina has to be available to tourists at all times.
“What is attractive about this marina is that it is not just a berthing facility – it is a base for all types of water activities, which includes anything from canoeing to swimming to yachting to power boating. There are quite a range of facilities at the location and it will develop a new approach to water based activity in the local community, as well as from a tourism perspective. It really adds on to the great work the club has done by putting a water safety boat in place”, said Mr Toland.

Finance
A total of €150,000 has already been drawn down and the final payment will be €50,000 is expected by the end of October.
That left the club to raise the final €100,000, and the club members dipped into their personal accounts to make contributions, and they also secured sponsorship.
“We also have a bridging finance facility and we have loan facilities of €93,000. When all the Leader funding is all drawn down, we will pay off the bridging and we will be left with a term loan facility of €35,000, which we have to pay in the next five years,” explained Mr Wilson.
The club are grateful to Cavan/Monaghan Leader for the money, and thanked John Toland for his help and advice.
“I would like to thank Jim and Meabh Brady from the Lakeside Manor for facilitating us to put this marina in place and for their support and sponsorship,” said Mr Wilson.
Jim Brady from the Lakeside Manor Hotel congratulated the Ramor Water Sports Club on their initiative.
“I was glad to facilitate the Ramor Watersports Club, in progressing this superb marina to fruition,” said Mr Brady.
Supplied by Inland and Coastal Marina systems in Banagher, Mr Brady branded it the ‘Rolls Royce’ of marinas.
He said it will be a great tourism facility for the region, and will be an enduring amenity.
Everyone is welcome to join the Ramor Watersports Club, who currently have 47 members