Landowners contacted over next phase

Waterways Ireland have held discussions with local landowners over the prospect of acquiring property in the hope of progressing Phase three of the Ulster Canal Restoration Project.

Stretching almost 10 kilometres and expected to take in the region of five years to complete (Q4 2024), this time last year cabinet gave the go-ahead for phase three linking Clones in Co Monaghan with Castle Saunderson and on to Lough Erne.

This work is split into four sub-phases with planning permission already in place.

Three of those phases involve opening the navigations from Castle Saunderson to Gortnacarrow (2kms); Gortnacarrow to the Border (0.5kms); and between the border at Derrynure and the border at Clonfad (3.75kms).

These will involve substantive infrastructural developments including new road bridges and layouts, a marina and restored heritage architecture.

The remaining phase of 3.75km is being designed.

Upwards of €3 million was spent on finishing the first phase, which opened to boat traffic in 2020, with phase two officially opened on Wednesday of last week.

Speaking at that event, overlooking the new 36-berth marina, John McDonagh, CEO of Waterways Ireland stated that work has already commenced in the preparation of a Land Acquisition Strategy for lands both in Ireland and Northern Ireland. There is also ongoing engagement with DfI Roads and Land & Property Services (LPS).

“In terms of what it entails, there is the prep part, and obviously then the construction,” he said of phase three.

“For us the piece in front of the prep part is land acquisition. There are quite a number of landowners, in Ireland and Northern Ireland, because it crosses over the border, so the first thing we have to do is acquire the land and, once we acquire the land, it’s much easier then to do the prep piece and construction.”

He confirmed that talks have already begun with landowners, and is confident that once they realise the full benefits of the project for the wider region that there won’t be any “difficulties”.

“We don’t envisage any difficulties, but truthfully it takes time for landowners to reflect on things. We are going to consider everything that we hear in terms of consultation,” he said.

Mr McDonagh has served in the role at Waterways Ireland since 2021. He was present for the launch of the Shannon Tourism Masterplan, which sets out a bold and integrated framework for sustainable tourism development along the Shannon and Shannon Erne Waterway.

Navigation towards Dowra

Part of that is examining the possibility of extending the navigation towards Dowra.

A team of experts have been appointed specifically for that purpose, and Mr McDonagh acknowledges that the area hasn’t had the “attention” it requires, particularly with millions of euro being pumped in to generate a tourism product centred around the Shannon Pot, Cavan Burren Park, and the wider Cuilcagh Lakelands UNESCO Global Geopark.

“We are looking at that in the context of the Shannon Tourism Masterplan,” he said of the Dowra proposal when asked by the Celt for comment. “That’s a section that probably hasn’t had enough attention over time.”

He admits the subject has been raised “quite a lot” by the likes of Fianna Fáil’s Brendan Smith.

“We do listen,” assured Mr McDonagh.

“That’s something that is on the cards, overtime, part and parcel of the overall master-plan.”