Shannon masterplan will see €70m invested in river region

A Shannon tourism masterplan to invest more than €70 million in visitor facilities in the Shannon river region by 2030, is to be launched on Tuesday.

The masterplan is to play a major part in the “Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands” campaign, which aims to attract an additional 500,000 tourists a year to the region by 2030.

The masterplan was commissioned by Waterways Ireland in partnership with Fáilte Ireland and is supported by ten local authorities which border the Shannon from Cavan to Limerick. It is to be launched by Minister for Tourism Catherine Martin and Minister for Local Government Darragh O’Brien online on Tuesday morning.

The strategy divides the Shannon into three regions where strategically linked development will take place.

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In the north Shannon existing facilities such as the waterside Lough Key Forest Park with its boating, motor home, cycling, walking and zip wire facilities, is to be linked to “service hub” town and villages such as Boyle, Carrick-on-Shannon, Ballinamore, Ballyconnell and Belturbet. The links will take the form of greenways and “blueways” – cycling, walking and boating routes along existing trails and new boardwalks. One new boardwalk is to run from Carrick-on-Shannon to Drumshanbo, linking in with Lough Allen waterpark and a visitors’ centre at the Shed Distillery, among other attractions.

A second boardwalk is to link Lough Key via Knockvicar and the Boyle river to Carrick on Shannon. An enhanced “Pilgrims Way” would follow the route of the cross-border Shannon-Erne Waterway while links would also be made between the waterway and the Unesco recognised Marble Arch Geopark which straddles Cos Cavan and Fermanagh.

In the mid-Shannnon area the masterplan envisages exploitation of the Rindoon, medieval walled town on the Roscommon shore of Lough Ree, with additional tourist facilities at Leacarrow and Portrunny. On the Co Longford side of Lough Ree at Red Bridge, Ballymahon, there is to be a new water-based activity hub. In Athlone it is planned to develop a slipway at Golden Island for boaters, canoeists, and anglers. Eight new cruising berths and canoe access at Athlone Railway Bridge will also be provided along with the promotion of the monastic site at Clonmacnoise and a link to the Lough Bora nature park in Co Offaly.

On the lower Shannon a redevelopment of Connaught Harbour in Portumna, Co Galway is planned with additional berths and greater walking and cycling routes linking the harbour to the centre of the town. It is also proposed to develop tourism facilities on Holy Island on Lough Derg. The visitors’ centre at Ardnacrusha is to be redeveloped in cooperation with ESB.

In all there are more than 140 separate developments mentioned in the plan.

The masterplan envisages the development of nine “remote” moorings , split evenly between the north, middle and lower Shannon to allow boats to moor in a water body, away from harbours or towns and villages.

All developments are to be environmentally proofed, with a long term ambition to have Lough Ree declared a national biosphere. They will according to Minister Catherine Martin offer “ a range of ways to be active in nature in a sustainable manner”.

The masterplan includes a list of more then 20 potential sources of funding including the Government’s investments in cycling and walking, community and rural development funds, community grants, among others. It is planned that using the vast majority of new facilities would be free. User charges will continue to apply to Waterways Ireland showers and laundry blocks , and operation of locks and bridges.