Royal Canal to re-open next year

The Royal Canal will be fully re-opened to boats next year, it was announced today.

The 145km waterway runs from Dublin to the River Shannon in Co Longford and has 46 locks.

Funding for the project is coming from the €75m allocated to canals infrastructure under the National Development Plan 2007-2013.

Waterways Ireland and Community and Rural Affairs Minister Eamon Ó' Cuív today announced other projects being planned over the next five years.

Also in the pipeline is the restoration of a stretch of the Ulster Canal from Upper Lough Erne to Clones.

A number of extensions and other works on the Shannon will also be progressed. A new regional office will be built in Carrick-on-Shannon.

Mr Ó' Cuív said initiatives to restore canals can boost the local economies and tourism potential of rural communities.

“As these waterways run through some of the less developed areas of the country, their potential for acting as regeneration catalysts in this manner is considerable,” he said.

Waterways Ireland is an all-island body established under the British-Irish Agreement Act of 1999 to manage Ireland’s inland navigable waterways.

By the end of the NDP, Waterways Ireland expects to have in place a further 3,750m of moorings, 70km of new or improved waterway and a range of facilities such as car parks.

“This will ensure a waterway system with improved access for all, which will provide an enjoyable amenity for boat users, walkers, anglers, etc, and where people can enjoy a quiet peaceful time in relaxing circumstances,” Mr Ó' Cuív said.

Waterways Ireland chief executive John Martin added: “The NDP Plan 2000-2006 benefited users of the waterways and the local waterway economies through an expansion of the recreational amenities of the waterways for domestic and overseas visitors.”