<\/p>\n
RTE News writes:
\n<\/u>A section of a disused canal in the border region of Monaghan and Fermanagh will be restored and reopened as a public amenity more than 90 years after it was abandoned.<\/p>\n
The final piece of a \u20ac12 million fund to restore the Clones to Clonfad stretch of the Ulster Canal has been announced today.<\/p>\n
\u20ac5.5 million will come from the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund, in addition to \u20ac6 million already committed to the project from the Taoiseach’s \u2018Shared Island Fund\u2019.<\/p>\n
The Ulster Canal opened for trade traffic in 1841 but fell into disrepair as the road and rail network improved.<\/p>\n
The last boat sailed on the canal in 1931.<\/p>\n
The money will be spent on transforming the overgrown ditches where the canal once flowed into a 1km stretch of water with a 40 berth marina.<\/p>\n
Two new bridges will be built and a third heritage bridge will be restored.<\/p>\n
There will also be a tow path, walking trails, parking and an amenity area.<\/p>\n
It is expected the water part of the project will be finished by the middle of 2023, while some land-based amenities won’t be completed until the early part of 2024.<\/p>\n
The Ulster Canal zig zags between Ireland and Northern Ireland, and in some parts, the canal itself is the border.<\/p>\n
It is hoped the project will attract tourism to the area and benefit communities North and South\u2026.<\/p>\n