Taoiseach to open Ulster Canal link project in Monaghan

A €20m project to link the Ulster Canal between Clones and Clonfad in Co Monaghan will be officially opened this afternoon.

Work on phase two of a restoration project that will eventually link Clones to Lough Erne in Co Fermanagh began in September 2022.

The canal is now open for navigation between Clonfad and Clones and there is a new canal basin marina and amenity area in Clones.

The project was completed by Waterways Ireland, a cross-border body established under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement.

It was funded by the Shared Island Fund, the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Department of Housing, Heritage and Local Government at a cost of more than €20m.

Taoiseach Simon Harris will cut the ribbon to officially open the project and a new marina this afternoon.

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin and several other Government ministers will attend the ceremony along with Stormont’s First Minister Michelle O’Neill and Minister for Infrastructure John O’Dowd.

In a statement in advance of the ceremony, the Taoiseach said the project clearly embodies the benefits of North-South cooperation.

“It is a project that symbolises peace and reconciliation on our island, one that will bring lasting benefits for generations to come.

“The restoration of the Ulster Canal demonstrates the huge focus that the Irish Government places on investing in large-scale, cross-border projects,” he said.

Mr Martin has also welcomed the completion of phase two of the restoration.

“I established the Shared Island Initiative with the aim of fostering cooperation, connection and mutual understanding on our island.

“The Ulster Canal restoration project embodies what Shared Island is all about – communities working together for the betterment of the island for everyone who calls it home,” he said.

Minister for Rural and Community Development Heather Humphreys said the project was a historical day for the people of Clones and the wider border region.

“The Ulster Canal has been talked about for 30 years and indeed many people never thought today would come,” she added.

Stormont’s Minister for Infrastructure John O’Dowd said the project has the potential to be transformational for the region, bringing opportunities for businesses by creating a new visitor destination.

When the Ulster Canal opened to commercial traffic in 1842 it passed through counties Fermanagh, Cavan, Monaghan, Tyrone, and Armagh.

The last trading boat using the canal was in 1929 and it closed officially in 1931.

The redevelopment project is being managed by Waterways Ireland and is being carried out in three phases.

Phase One which facilitated boat travel between Lough Erne and Castle Saunderson in Co Cavan was completed in 2020.

The final stage, Phase Three, when complete, will link phases one and two, and fully reopen the waterway from Clones to Lough Erne.