The Ulster Canal restoration is a flagship North-South project, supported by the Shared Island Fund, managed by Waterways Ireland and overseen by my Department.
The project is a 13km restoration from Clones in Co. Monaghan to Upper Lough Erne, and includes a new canal basin and harbour at Clones, a new canal, 5 access bridges, 4 minor road bridges, 3 masonry arc bridges, a new aqueduct at Clonfad; many kilometres of towpaths and an extensive dredging programme.
The project is being delivered in 3 Phases.
Phase 1, which linked Lough Erne to Castlesaunderson is complete. The final cost of Phase 1 was just over €4m.
I am delighted to say that Phase 2, Clones to Clonfad is also on the point of completion. This section of the works, which includes the new marina at Clones, has been funded jointly by my Department, the Shared Island Fund and the Department of Rural and Community Development. The cost of Phase two is just over €20m plus VAT. This cost has been shared between my Department, the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Shared Island Fund.
Phase 3 is the longest phase of the project at approximately 10km and will connect Castle Saunderson to Clonfad and link the town of Clones by navigable waterway to the Erne System and onward to the wider waterway network of the Shannon-Erne Waterway, the Shannon Navigation, the Royal and Grand Canals towards Dublin and further south along the Barrow Line and Barrow Navigation.
With planning permission in place, it is now possible to progress three of the four sub-phases of Phase 3 which have strong synergies with Phase 2 of the project. These works will bring the restored canal south of the border from Fermanagh and extend it further to the West from Clones. In 2023, the Government approved €40m in funding from the Shared Island Fund towards this aspect of the project.
The Ulster Canal project is a long standing commitment of successive Governments and is transformative, not just for the areas that the canal traverses, both north and south of the border, but also for Waterways Ireland and for tourism and recreation along our inland waterways nationally.
