Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
LAST UPDATE | 19 Jun 2024
TAOISEACH SIMON HARRIS has hailed the completion of the second phase of a project to restore the Ulster Canal as a symbol of “peace and reconciliation on our island”.
The landmark €20 million project sees the canal now restored between Clonfad and Clones and open for navigation, along with an accompanying major canal basin marina and amenity area in Clones.
Harris was in Clones this afternoon to mark the completion of the second phase of the landmark cross-border restoration project in Clones, alongside Tánaiste Micheál Martin and Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O’Neill.
Ministers Darragh O’Brien and Heather Humphreys, Minister of State Malcolm Noonan and Northern Ireland Minister for Infrastructure John O’Dowd were also in attendance.
The Ulster Canal, which runs through counties Armagh, Fermanagh, Tyrone, Cavan and Monaghan, was built in the 19th century but was abandoned in the early 1930s.
Phase one of the restoration involved the restoration of a 2.5 km stretch of the canal from Upper Lough Erne in Co Fermanagh to the International Scout Centre at Castle Saunderson near Belturbet in Co Cavan. This was completed in 2020.
The work on phase two of the restoration, which began in 2022, included securing a sustainable water source, a new slipway and marina infrastructure facilitating access to the canal for small craft and two new access bridges.
Repairs to an existing masonry arch bridge were also made, along with the delivery of flood relief culverts and the provision of a new service block facility.
A 1km Greenway was also delivered for use by pedestrian and cyclists. This runs alongside the canal and forms parts of the proposed Ulster Canal Greenway.
A Visitor Experience Plan to animate and activate phase two is being developed with the aim of delivering a marina that is a unique place to engage with the water and the local heritage.
The €20 million project was funded by the Government, with support drawn from the Shared Island Fund, the Rural Regeneration Development Fund and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.
The Government has said the restoration of the canal will provide communities across the rural border region with a new amenity to enjoy, as well as an important new tourism destination with opportunities for new businesses to open and existing businesses to expand.
Marking the project’s completion, the Taoiseach said it clearly embodies “the benefits of North South cooperation and investment for County Monaghan, and across the entire border region”.
He added that the “restoration of the Ulster Canal demonstrates the huge focus that the Irish Government places on investing in large-scale, cross-border projects”.
Tánaiste Micheál Martin also welcomed the project, saying the restoration of the Ulster Canal “reconnects the region with its rich heritage” and will “greatly enhance the lives of communities and the economy along the border”.
Minister Humphreys, who is from Monaghan, said the restoration marks “a historical day for the people of Clones and indeed the wider border region”.
“The Ulster Canal has been talked about for 30 years and indeed many people never thought today would come,” she will say, adding that the project will “breathe new life back into the area” by stimulating economic activity and opening up new tourism opportunities.
Phase three of the restoration, when complete, will link phases one and two, and fully reopen the waterway from Clones to Lough Erne.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Work for nothing. You will never be out of a job
The truth of the matter is we are not respecting our force and people dont want to join , they need serious amounts of support. Years ago it used to be a good job now they are getting abuse and cant respond.
@B McCurragh: that’s probably because of all the abuse of power over the years and exposed corruption.
@B McCurragh: years of underfunding and lack of recruitment has made it a force that’s hard to respect. Go and have a look on reddit- the amount of serious issues being reported is shocking. Garda not showing up for calls etc
I’m sure Helen and Harris could beef up their numbers with more retired x British soldiers no problem they would fit right into the guards these days the way they are carrying on.
A good dose of James “Lugs” Branigan
is what the country could do with.
Policing on the cheap.
It’s possibly not a bad idea to plug holes in the garda ranks with volunteers… But I think it is stopping short. Why not increase Community Oriented Policing, and Neighbourhood Watches to aid battling crime and increasing the saftey of our communities?
@Seriously Really: are you serious. Snitching will get you or Yr family hurt. We are dealing with habitual thugs here. N
@Dave Barrett: I get it… Snitches get Stitches… However, it has been documented and proven successful… When you have a strong police presence in walking the streets and in cars, combined with police who actually adopt neighbourhoods (involved at neighbourhood events as part of the community) and advertised neighbourhood watch programs… Together, the fore mentioned decreases the number of crimes. We must take ownership of our neighbourhoods, known our neighbours and support the saftey of all in our neighbourhoods.
@Seriously Really: Vigilantes to deal with local thugs would sort out a lot of crime in local communities . Courts are a joke on dealing with repeat offenders.
Total election talk!, if you can’t recruit….start at the top and get rid of the PSNI and the out of depth Justice minister
€10-€15 per hour is hardly worth risking life and limb.
@Paul1st: working in lidl/aldi safer on that wage.
Being a Garda is not like it used to be. The respect was there for law and order. I will always remember my dad saying to us when we were young, “don’t anyone of ye ever bring a garda to the door”. Back then if you found Yr self in trouble you would run a mile away from them.. Now it’s a different story.
If anyone can remember the Black Maria. I can remember a time when in Cork if you were picked up for anti social behaviour or being a thug you would go for a spin to the back of cork airport for a chat,left out and found Yr own way home. Ahh the good old days.
“Dublin is SAFE”or will be now.
Helen is a credit to the people of Ireland… We’re so blessed to have her . In Helen we trust in absolutely everything.
@Quinny: shes a muppy
Gardai need to be armed and also carry hefty batons on display like most police forces and be able to use them when threatened and abused.
We also need a height requirement and fitness requirement. Fat and undersized Gardai are a waste of money.
Ban Gardai on the best also a waste of money.
The thugs laugh at them.
What a complete waste of time, energy & money. Whats needed are real Gardai, not dressed up weekend warriors. This is more of this government trying to convince people that there are more Gardai than there are. They’re still on about reaching 14k Gardai – and it’s been declining for years. 14k was a target 15 years ago, and our population is growing all the while so that number isn’t nearly enough now. Fix the post 2013 pension problem & they might have some hope of recruiting & retaining people – but now you’d be mad to join the Gardai – for a pension the equivalent to Jobseekers Allowance. They can’t see the wood for the trees with these bullshit policies and the Commissioner hasn’t the balls to call them out – because he doesn’t care what happens when he’s gone. Looking after no.1
More police to protect the immigrants couldn’t give a fiddlers about the Irish people.
€15 an hour and most likely to be left hours short as not to receive full payment..
Look after the members that you have first and get a new commissioner who cares about the members not himself and his cronies
When is a Garda not a Garda?
Being a garda now requires only the toughest,they should also be better armed,and should be available for call out when needed,which is often not the case.
I would have been interested in applying however I’m too old, but definitely could have added some value!
I had a relationship with a highly intelligent deep understanding girl who was a garda reserve in one of the most challenging districts in Dublin , and she told me the regular garda where horribly insidious and racist
They forgot to add that recruits can’t have tattoos!
@Aisling Lohan: So? Plenty of jobs where you have no chance or only a slim chance with visible tattoos.
@Wolfgang Bonow: The world is changing and tattoos have been normalised. Most adults under 40 have them so I think that An Gardai kicking out 2 willing recruits last year was a major error, especially when the no. of recruits are so low. Most young people could relate more to a guard with a tattoo, it would be a great ice breaking for community policing.
Bunch of thugs
Pay is still awful and age restriction should be increased to get fit healthy 60sin with time on their hands..
have your say