€6 million approved to commence Phase 2 of the Ulster Canal

€6 million is to be made available under the 'Shared Island Initiative’ for restoration works between Clones and Clonfad. The work, due to be completed by the summer of 2023, covers a 5km stretch of the Canal from the Erne Navigation to the International Scout Centre at Castle Saunderson, Co. Cavan.

The Government has also approved €1million to commence feasibility and engineering works on Phase 3 of the restoration from Clonfad to Castle Saunderson. Minister Humphreys also confirmed that further plans for the development of a Greenway along the route of the Canal from Clones to Smithboro have also been discussed by the Cabinet.

This will link with the Smithboro to Middleton Greenway project which has already received over €5million in INTERREG funding. Announcing Cabinet approval for Phase 2 of the Ulster Canal,

Minister Humphreys stated: “As somebody who lives just a few miles out the road, this really is one of the happiest days I have had in politics because I know how much the Ulster Canal means to Clones.

“When I was Minister for Culture back in 2015, I gave the approval to start work on Phase 1 of the Ulster Canal restoration.

“Phase 1 involved a 2.5km stretch of the Canal from the Erne Navigation to the International Scout Centre at Castle Saunderson, Co. Cavan. Those works are now complete and the navigation channel on the River Finn up to Castle Saunderson is now open to waterway users and a new navigation bridge has been constructed at Derrykerrib Bridge.

“The next step was to figure out how we would bring water to Clones itself and I’m delighted that my current Department of Rural & Community Development was able to provide €325,000 to Waterways Ireland to allow them to carry out a major feasibility and engineering study on how we would do exactly that.

“Those reports were completed just a few months ago which meant that Phase 2 of the project was now ready to move to construction.”

Minister Humphreys continued: “The total overall cost of the project here in Clones will be over €12 million – that is going to be met with €6 million from the new Shared Island Fund which the Government has approved today.

“I am pleased to say that Waterways Ireland have also submitted an application directly to my Department under the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund to seek the remainder of the funding.

“That application was submitted to my Department just last week and it will now go through the normal assessment process.

Minister Humphreys said she has always been consistent that the Ulster Canal will be done in phases, adding that’s exactly what Government has agreed.

“Phase 1 from Castle Saunderson to Derrykerrib Bridge is complete. Phase 2 from Clonfad to Clones has got the green light and funding approval today.

“Phase 3 will essentially involve linking those two sections of the canal together and I am pleased to say that Government has today also approved €1million in funding to do the necessary engineering and pre-construction works to make that happen. These preliminary works will commence in early 2021 and will be carried out in parallel with the construction works in Clones. This will ensure that as soon as Phase 2 is complete there will be no delay in moving on to Phase 3.

“When complete Phase 3 will link the Clones stretch of the Canal to the Erne System and onward to the Shannon Erne Waterway, the Shannon Navigation, the Royal and Grand Canals towards Dublin and further south along the Barrow Line and Barrow Navigation.

Minister Humphreys also confirmed that Cabinet has discussed further plans for the development of a Greenway from Clones to Smithboro.

The Minister continued: “The plan is that the greenway will run along the route of the canal eastwards from Clones to Smithborough village and would be approximately 13km in length.

“Monaghan County Council have completed a Feasibility Study and Technical Scoping Study along the route and I am pleased to say that Monaghan County Council have now been granted €100k to conduct a route option appraisal and complete the necessary environmental studies to inform a planning application.

“The idea is that this section will link with the Greenway from Smithboro to Middleton which has already secured Interreg Funding of €5million.

“That will mean - all going to plan – you should be able to sail your boat intoo Clones and then hop on your bike and go from Clones to Smithboro on to Monaghan and from there all the way to Middleton.

“These are major multimillion investments in Clones which will make it a jewel in the crown in terms of our tourism offering in County Monaghan and the North-East region.

“We have been waiting for this day for decades so this is a really exciting time for Clones.

“The Ulster Canal has been close to my heart since my days on Monaghan County Council and I’m just so delighted and proud to have played a part in helping to make this happen because I know how much this will mean to the people of Clones and the surrounding areas.”