Taoiseach's pledge gives green light to canal reopening

The Royal Canal will be fully restored between Dublin and the Shannon in Co Longford by 2006, the Taoiseach Mr Ahern has confirmed. Speaking at the recent refurbishment of Kilcock Harbour in Co Kildare, Mr Ahern gave members of the Royal Canal Amenity Group a commitment that money would be provided under the National Development Plan to restore the waterway.

The news has been warmly welcomed by volunteer members of the Royal Canal Amenity Group, about 100 of whom are to hold a canal-side picnic with music and talks on the history of the canal at Confey, Co Kildare, on Sunday.

The reopening of the canal - the last through voyage from Dublin to the Shannon was made in 1955 - represents a considerable triumph for the amenity group which has organised regular clean-ups and lobbied for the restoration of individual locks and gates along the route through counties Dublin, Kildare, Westmeath and Longford.

Some six low bridges remain to be rebuilt between Abbeyshrule, Co Longford and Clondra, but according to Mr Ahern these will be in place by 2006, allowing waterborne craft to navigate to the Shannon again - 189 years after the canal was completed.

While the traffic back then was mainly commercial, it is now exclusively recreational - the canal operated only as a financially successful entity for about 30 years after it was built.

It started to decline after the railways were built in the mid1800s.

However, just as business people in towns and villages along the way hoped for increased trade from the waterway in the 1800s, traders are today envisaging a boon from pleasure craft making the journey between the Shannon and Dublin.

The Royal Canal will now join the Grand Canal as twin arcs linking the capital with the Shannon, one going north through Mullingar, Co Westmeath, the other going south through Tullamore, Co Offaly. It is also possible to link counties Wexford and Waterford through the Grand Canal and the River Barrow and either Limerick or Lough Erne through the Shannon.

The journey along the Royal Canal from Dublin involves 47 locks. The highest point, or summit level, is at Mullingar where the waterway is fed by a canal from Lough Owel and it includes four major aquaducts at the Ryewater, Boyne and Inny rivers. Eighty-six bridges were constructed.

The original cost was £1,421,954. However, a Government spokesman was unable to say this week how much the restoration would cost. Sources indicated that the bridge in Mullingar, which was rebuilt to aid navigation in recent years, cost over £1 million.

The quality of workmanship is high - most lock chambers and bridges are still in good condition after almost 200 years.

Mr John Binns, who was one of the principal supporters of the Royal Canal and had previously been a director of the Grand Canal Company, has the unique distinction of lending his name to a bridge on both the Grand Canal (at Robertstown, Co Kildare) and the Royal Canal (at Drumcondra, Dublin).

Mr Watson Mills, chairman of the Royal Canal Amenity Group, said firm plans for reopening the canal could now be made because of the Taoiseach's commitment.

Mr Mills paid tribute to the group members Mr Ian Bath and the late Mr Eddie Slane who he credited with much of the work in halting the decline of the canal in recent years.

Another member Mr Noel Spain said the news would give a tremendous fillip to the picnic which was already planned for the banks of the canal at Confey on Sunday. "This is where we keep our restoration equipment and it is a lovely spot for a picnic," he said.