Volunteers plan to open Boyne Canal to boats once again

The Boyne will be navigable from Drogheda to Staleen next summer thanks to the actions of a dedicated group of volunteers have been working to restore the Boyne canal for the past few years. In fact, as work continues, including the installation of a new sea lock, it will be possible for boats to travel upriver to Oldbridge later this year, holding out the hope that the waterway may soon be navigable as far as Navan in years to come. The public will get a chance to see some of the Trojan work of the Boyne Navigation branch of the Inland Waterways Association of Ireland at the Boyne Canal Open Day on Sunday 7th September. The event takes place at the Oldbridge sea lock from 2.30pm. People will be introduced to the canal, there will be short boat trips, talks on flora and fauna and a chance to see the benefits of a restored waterway, learn about its history and how the canal and its locks work. The restoration is been undertaken by the Boyne Navigation branch of the Inland Waterways Association of Ireland in association with An Taisce, which purchased the navigation rights in 1969. The branch grew out of the local Boyne Canal Restoration Group who had been working on the navigation for many years, clearing away debris. Volunteer parties work on the navigation every second Saturday at the Oldbridge sea lock, starting at 9.30am. They have taken a break for August but work will begin again on Saturday 30th August. According to project manager, Tommy McLoughlin, they are always looking for new members to assist in the restoration of this unique waterway. The section they are working on at present is the Oldbridge section, which starts 3km above Drogheda with a sea lock. This lock will be operational by the end of 2008 and the guard lock at Oldbridge upper will be working by summer 2009. This will allow boats to travel from Drogheda to below Staleen lock on the river. The next section to be restored is the Staleen section, which runs from Staleen to Brough. This section passes by the back of the Newgrange visitor centre. The ultimate aim is to retore the navigation from Drogheda to Navan. 'It is our intention to restore the navigation progressively so that the benefits of the navigation can be enjoyed by everyone, not just boaters,' said Mr McLoughlin. 'The navigation is man-made and, unlike a river, needs to be maintained as a navigation, otherwise it will turn back to a dirty ditch which nobody will benefit from. The restored navigation has the potential of connecting some of the countries best know historical sites - Drogheda, the Battle of the Boyne site, Newgrange and Slane by water bus thus contributing to the areas socio-economical structures,' he added. The Boyne navigation was constructed between 1750 and 1800. It involves a series of canals, constructed where the Boyne river itself wasn"t navigable. Meanwhile, the development of a new Boyne trail which would boost the local tourist industry has been proposed by Navan councillor, Peadar Tóibín. He suggested an historic walk, encompassing the full length of the river, which would involve those undertaking the trail staying a number of nights in the county. Cllr Tóibín, who is Navan Town Council"s representative on the board of Meath Tourism, said that, in recent years, there had been phenomenal growth in tourist interest in historical or cultural walks around the world, such as Santiago de Compostela in Spain and the Inca trail in Peru. 'I believe that we can develop the river Boyne into such trail,' he said. He added that the Boyne was lined with many of the finest historical monuments in all of Ireland. 'The Boyne Valley is blessed with Trim Castle, Bective Abbey, the Hill of Tara, Donaghmore, Slane Castle, the Hill of Slane, Newgrange and the other Brú na Bóinne monuments, the Battle of the Boyne, Townley Hall, and Drogheda. 'Apart from these famous sites, the river is also lined with dozens of less significant historical sites and beauty spots such as holy wells, standing stones, stately manors, old bridges, churchyards and mills.' He believed that the development of such a walk would bring great benefits to the people of Meath. 'The proposed Boyne walk would be 70 miles long in total. This would make overnight stays in the county a necessity for either the full walk or major sections of the walk. This would greatly increase the demand for hotel and B&B rooms, it would increase usage of restaurant facilities and tourism supply shops and prospective activity centres,' he added. Cllr Toibin is calling on Meath County Council to carry out a feasibility study to assess the potential value in relation to revenue, the potential demand from tourists and the likely cost of the project.