Former sporting heroes rub shoulders at tourism project opening

ONE great former sporting captain watched as another opened a new €2 million tourism infrastructure project in the lakeside town of Killaloe yesterday.

Former Irish rugby captain Keith Wood was one of a number of locals who turned out to see the former All-Ireland winning Kerry football captain Jimmy Deenihan formally open new moorings and walkway on the Shannon navigation in Killaloe on Lough Derg.

There, in his role as Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Mr Deenihan said the new facilities “will boost tourism numbers considerably in Ballina-Killaloe”.

A plaque commemorating the opening of the new facilities was unveiled and the Kerryman remarked: “I think there should be some kind of a plaque here for Keith Wood today as well.”

As photos were taken of the two former sports stars, Mr Deenihan quipped: “Hold on to this photo for my next book. It’s worth at least another 1,000 readers.”

Killaloe’s best-known resident, Keith Wood said his home overlooks the moorings, and he remembers the workers from L&M Keating Ltd working on the project when the canal was frozen over last winter.

He said: “They have done tremendous work. You don’t even have to look to the future for the impact this development has had. It has been immediate and has been full all of the time.”

The former British & Irish Lion said: “It just looks fantastic. I don’t know where it looks like, it would be a ridiculously pretentious thing to say that it looks like the south of France — it doesn’t, it looks like Killaloe. It’s great.”

Wood was having none of it when it was mentioned there were two sporting greats on hand for the opening of the two moorings. “Two comfortable has-beens in sport more like,” he joked.

On the new development, Wood said: “I have to say Killaloe needed it and it is great to see something so absolutely positive. It was in the offing for a long time and they have done a beautiful job.

“Killaloe is a pretty cool place, there is a lot of energy here in the town,” he added.

The project is jointly funded by Fáilte Ireland and Waterways Ireland and chief executive of Waterways Ireland, John Martin said: “Killaloe/Ballina is a key destination and gateway in the Lakelands and Inland Waterways area for domestic and international visitors.