The Ulster Canal, which once linked Lough Erne to Lough Neagh and was closed in 1931, may be reopened, depending on the result of a joint feasibility study between the Northern Ireland Department of Agriculture Rivers Agency and the Department of Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht.
The Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht, Mr Higgins, announcing the venture, said the restoration of the 19th century canal provided exciting opportunities to link the ShannonErne system with Lough Neagh and beyond".
The Ulster Canal is about 45 miles long, and extends northeast via the River Erne, Wallle Bridge, Clones, Monaghan, Charlemont and the River Blackwater into Lough Neagh.