The restoration of the Ulster Canal is not just about linking Lough Neagh to the Erne. It forms part of a much bigger picture, which will see all of Ireland's waterways, both North and South, linked together. Éamon Ó Cuívcelebrates what can be achieved if the Ulster Canal is restored as a North/South project
It is strategically important not only for its impact on North-South co-operation, but equally, in terms of maximising the value of the investment of the Irish and British governments in the overall network, with immediate benefits to the tourism and recreational industries both North and South.
Currently, the Lower Bann navigation linking Coleraine to Lough Neagh is isolated in Northern Ireland. The restoration of the Ulster Canal will link it to the Barrow Navigation, the Royal (once restoration is complete in 2008) and Grand Canals and the Shannon-Erne Navigations, allowing boats to navigate from Co Carlow to Belleek, from Limerick to Dublin and to all points in between.
The main inland waterway navigation routes on the island of Ireland are vested in Waterways Ireland, a North-South body set up under the British-Irish Agreement Act 1999. The organisation is sponsored by the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs in the South and by the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure in the North. As Minister with shared responsibility for Waterways Ireland, I am passionately committed to this project, as is the Taoiseach. It will provide a major economic and social boost to the region, enhance North South co-operation, and link the network of navigable inland waterways on this island.
Canals are being restored and reopened all over Europe as people realise their potential for leisure-based activities, for rural and urban regeneration, for the creation of permanent sustainable jobs and for the enhancement of the environment.
This is also true for the Ulster Canal, where the reconstruction of the now derelict canal is by no means an insurmountable task. A socio-economic study, published recently at Stormont with cross-party support, identified many of the key benefits that would arise, including cross-Border regeneration and economic development; tourism opportunities; business development; and recreation and health benefits.
The canal has an interesting history. It opened in 1841, linking Lough Neagh and Lough Erne at the very end of the canal era; the railways had already begun to take over the market in transport goods. The original route through Armagh, Monaghan and Fermanagh is 93km long and has 26 locks and lies approximately 50 per cent on each side of the Border. The original plan was to link the ports of Belfast and Coleraine, via the Shannon-Erne Waterway, with the Shannon and onwards to Limerick or Waterford.
However, the canal was relatively unsuccessful for three reasons: its locks were the narrowest in Ireland, so incoming cargo had to be transferred onto smaller boats; its water supply was inadequate; and its southern link, the Shannon-Erne Waterway, closed after only a few years. The Ulster Canal was eventually abandoned in 1931.
Nowadays the canals are not commercial arteries. They are used not only by boaters, but by fishermen, walkers and nature-lovers. In 1994 the Shannon-Erne Waterway reopened as a major cross-Border project.
It has been hugely successful in helping to promote tourism and as a catalyst for wider rural regeneration in the region.
Already established guesthouses and small hotels have grasped new marketing ideas and have taken advantage of the publicity generated since its opening.
These days, the Shannon-Erne Waterway isn't just a scenic stretch of lake, river and canal enjoyed by several thousand boaters a year. It's a fantastic success story in cross-Border co-operation, creating strong economic and social links North and South through these beautiful waterways. It is a model of what can be achieved.
I believe reopening the Ulster Canal will benefit all of society, North and South, but particularly the rural Border economy, which has suffered from low economic activity over the years. It will provide a vital resource in a region lacking a strong economic base. We must seek to capitalise on this potential resource for the benefit of all the people of Ireland.
Éamon Ó Cuív is Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs