Government funding ruled out for navigation system revitalisation

WATERWAYS Ireland (WI) has ruled out securing Government funding for a proposed multi-million euro project revitalising derelict parts of an old navigation system to attract thousands of new tourists into South-East Clare.
In an interview with The Clare Champion, WI head of marketing, Eanna Rowe confirmed this project wasn’t feasible in the short term due to the huge scale of the costs involved.
However, Mr Rowe pledged the agency would consider examining the potential of developing the old navigation system on the River Shannon as a major tourist attraction in the future.
“WI are now in a period of consolidation. Government funding was secured in recent years but I don’t know what funding will be available after the Budget on December 7.
“WI have been able to make funding go a lot further in projects because of the drop in consumer prices. Most of the boating takes place between Killaloe and Portumna. WI would like to see more people use the inlands waterways navigation system to Limerick, whether it is from Killaloe and Ardnacrusha or even Kilrush,” he said.
WI are currently in discussions with Shannon Development to attract more people to use the inland waterways on boating trips to Limerick City, where it believes there are diverse visitor attractions.
Mr Rowe believes Ardnacrusha lock has a unique selling point because there is no other chamber of its kind in the country with a 40ft and a 60ft drop.
“The only restriction for boat users travelling through Ardnacrusha lock is the requirement to ring the ESB in advance and find out if more than one turbine is in operation for health and safety reasons. Most vessels can travel through the lock when there is only one turbine being used,” he said.
Speaking at the official launch, Councillor Michael Begley asked Waterways Ireland why it didn’t consider cleaning up the old navigation system, which was in operation for 130 years up to 1929.
Councillor Begley pointed out that only certain vessels could travel from Parteen Weir to Limerick City through Ardnacrusha lock, which wasn’t as picturesque as the other route involving Clonlara and O’Briensbridge.
He explained that inexperienced boat users would find it difficult to negotiate the 100ft drop of 40ft and 60ft in Ardnacrusha even when the ESB were only running one turbine.
An English waterways protection society who visited O’Briensbridge recently, predicted thousands of tourists would flock to South-East Clare annually if derelict parts of an old navigation system were restored to their former glory.
Nineteen people from the Inland Waterways Protection Society (IWPS) were “gobsmacked” by the wealth of heritage material along the old Limerick Navigation system during a visit last October.
IWPS chairman Ian Edgar stressed the old navigation system in South-East Clare had a lot more natural beauty and tourist potential compared with the Bugsworth Basin, which now attracted in the region of 55,000 annually.
“Local authorities need to be educated on the tourism potential of the inland waterways. We were gobsmacked by what has been done, what is being done and what could be done to transform this waterway,” he said.
In an interview with The Clare Champion, WI head of marketing, Eanna Rowe confirmed this project wasn’t feasible in the short term due to the huge scale of the costs involved.
However, Mr Rowe pledged the agency would consider examining the potential of developing the old navigation system on the River Shannon as a major tourist attraction in the future.
“WI are now in a period of consolidation. Government funding was secured in recent years but I don’t know what funding will be available after the Budget on December 7.
“WI have been able to make funding go a lot further in projects because of the drop in consumer prices. Most of the boating takes place between Killaloe and Portumna. WI would like to see more people use the inlands waterways navigation system to Limerick, whether it is from Killaloe and Ardnacrusha or even Kilrush,” he said.
WI are currently in discussions with Shannon Development to attract more people to use the inland waterways on boating trips to Limerick City, where it believes there are diverse visitor attractions.
Mr Rowe believes Ardnacrusha lock has a unique selling point because there is no other chamber of its kind in the country with a 40ft and a 60ft drop.
“The only restriction for boat users travelling through Ardnacrusha lock is the requirement to ring the ESB in advance and find out if more than one turbine is in operation for health and safety reasons. Most vessels can travel through the lock when there is only one turbine being used,” he said.
Speaking at the official launch, Councillor Michael Begley asked Waterways Ireland why it didn’t consider cleaning up the old navigation system, which was in operation for 130 years up to 1929.
Councillor Begley pointed out that only certain vessels could travel from Parteen Weir to Limerick City through Ardnacrusha lock, which wasn’t as picturesque as the other route involving Clonlara and O’Briensbridge.
He explained that inexperienced boat users would find it difficult to negotiate the 100ft drop of 40ft and 60ft in Ardnacrusha even when the ESB were only running one turbine.
An English waterways protection society who visited O’Briensbridge recently, predicted thousands of tourists would flock to South-East Clare annually if derelict parts of an old navigation system were restored to their former glory.
Nineteen people from the Inland Waterways Protection Society (IWPS) were “gobsmacked” by the wealth of heritage material along the old Limerick Navigation system during a visit last October.
IWPS chairman Ian Edgar stressed the old navigation system in South-East Clare had a lot more natural beauty and tourist potential compared with the Bugsworth Basin, which now attracted in the region of 55,000 annually.
“Local authorities need to be educated on the tourism potential of the inland waterways. We were gobsmacked by what has been done, what is being done and what could be done to transform this waterway,” he said.