A section of the Ulster Canal, a disused canal in the border region of Monaghan and Fermanagh, will be restored and reopened as a public amenity more than 90 years after it was abandoned.
… last boat sailed on the canal in 1931…
… Two new bridges will be built and a third heritage bridge will be restored…
RTE News writes:
A section of a disused canal in the border region of Monaghan and Fermanagh will be restored and reopened as a public amenity more than 90 years after it was abandoned.
The final piece of a €12 million fund to restore the Clones to Clonfad stretch of the Ulster Canal has been announced today.
€5.5 million will come from the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund, in addition to €6 million already committed to the project from the Taoiseach’s ‘Shared Island Fund’.
The Ulster Canal opened for trade traffic in 1841 but fell into disrepair as the road and rail network improved.
The last boat sailed on the canal in 1931.
The money will be spent on transforming the overgrown ditches where the canal once flowed into a 1km stretch of water with a 40 berth marina.
Two new bridges will be built and a third heritage bridge will be restored.
There will also be a tow path, walking trails, parking and an amenity area.
It is expected the water part of the project will be finished by the middle of 2023, while some land-based amenities won’t be completed until the early part of 2024.
The Ulster Canal zig zags between Ireland and Northern Ireland, and in some parts, the canal itself is the border.
It is hoped the project will attract tourism to the area and benefit communities North and South….
