This article is from page 10 of the 2011-08-09 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 10 JPG
THE new € 2 million Killaloe Canal Improvement Works project that was officially opened last week can be the spark for an upsurge in tourist traffic and activity along the Shannon navigation system.
That’s according to the coalition of forces that brought the ambitious project to fruition over the past year – Fáilte Ireland and Waterways Ireland, who spearheaded the key improvement works in Killaloe as part of a Lough Derg initiative also involving Shannon Development as well as Clare and Tipperary county councils.
The project involved the laying of 755 metres of moorings, the underpinning of the old Killaloe canal wall, the installation of the flood control gates and the creation of a looped walk along the shore and canal wall.
“Killaloe is a key destination and gateway in the lakelands and inland waterways area for domestic and internaitonal visitors,” said the Chief Executive of Waterways Ireland.
“The development here in Killaloe is a key part of our strategy in Waterways Ireland and is key in encouraging further economic activity in the town and indeed the wider Lough Derg area,” he added.
“The Killaloe canal signifies Fáilte Ireland’s commitment, as the national tourism development authority, to ensuring that there are plenty of reasons for visitors to come and indeed return to Clare, this year and into the future,” said Fáilte Ireland’s Fiona Monaghan.
“The improvement works undertaken in Killaloe have been extensive and will prove important in increasing visitor numbers to this very scenic area of the mid west,” said the Minister for the Arts Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Jimmy Deenihan in officially opening the new facility.
“This project funding jointly by Fáilte Ireland and Waterways Ireland, will make an excellent facility for walkers, tourists and those who enjoy waterway activities. This development will only add to this region’s reputation as one of Ireland’s most attractive and enjoyable destinations for visitors, from home and abroad,” he added.
The project was underataken as part of the wider development of the inland waterways system from Fermanagh as far as Limerick under the working title of Product Development Studies for the Lakelands and Inlands Waterways area.
The studies chart the future development of tourism and recreation in the inland waterways, with the new Killaloe facility being held up as a prime example of the development of top-class facilities.