Waterways Ireland advises masters and owners of vessels on the Shannon Navigation that Connaught Harbour in Portumna will be closed from this Thursday 10 August for a period of one month to facilitate works in the area.

The area of closure will be from the inner wall of the slipway towards Connaught Harbour, the cross-border body for Ireland’s inland waterways adds.

Masters of vessels currently moored in Connaught Harbour are requested to remove their vessels from the harbour before Thursday 10 August. Vessels remaining in the harbour after this date will be removed by Waterways Ireland.

Waterways Ireland advises masters of vessels and waterway users on the Shannon Navigation that the upgrade works on the waiting jetties upstream and downstream of Portumna Bridge will be carried out from Thursday 17 November to Friday 2 December.

These jetties will remain open except for the area where works are ongoing. The cross-border body for Ireland’s inland waterways says it regrets any inconvenience that this may cause and thanks its customers for their cooperation in relation to this matter.

On Friday (23 September), Waterways Ireland marked the commencement of works on two significant tourism and navigation projects on the Shannon Navigation in Portumna, Co Galway.

Minister of State for Disability, Anne Rabbitte and fellow local TDs Ciarán Cannon and Seán Canney, along with Fiona Monaghan and Paddy Mathews from Fáilte Ireland, Alan Farrell from Galway County Council and Éanna Rowe and Phil Cargill from Waterways Ireland turned the sod on the redevelopment of Connaught Harbour.

Elsewhere, at Portumna Bridge the commencement of construction of a blueway cycle and pedestrian trail along the inland waterway linking Portumna Castle and Connaught Harbour was also marked. 
 
The Connaught Harbour redevelopment project — which is part-funded by Fáilte Ireland and stems from the Shannon Tourism Masterplan and Lough Derg VEDP — consists of a new eight-berth marina at Connaught Harbour, incorporating a boat pump-out with new car parking area and ancillary services.

Quay wall berthing for 22 boats along with car parking and a civic area will also be developed at the bridge yard end of Connaught Harbour. This will be facilitated by the removal of three buildings on the site.

Footpaths will be repaired, where required, and a new road crossing will be developed connecting to the new blueway. Work on the development has begun and the project is expected to be open to the public in mid-2023.
 
Commenting on the works, Minister Rabbitte said: “I am delighted to be in Portumna today to turn the sod on this exciting development for the area. This investment will transform the area as both a domestic and an international tourist attraction, and for the local people who live in the vicinity.”
 
Aimed at positioning the Shannon as a hub destination for international and domestic tourism, the Shannon Tourism Masterplan is the first dedicated plan undertaken on the entire Shannon region.

A collaborative project led by Waterways Ireland, with Fáilte Ireland and 10 local authorities along the River Shannon and the Shannon-Erne Waterway, it sets out an integrated framework for sustainable tourism development along the Shannon across to 2030.

The masterplan identifies the measures needed to develop the necessary infrastructure, products and experiences to reposition the Shannon region as a key tourism destination within Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands. 
 
These Portumna projects are funded by Waterways Ireland, Fáilte Ireland and the Department of Rural and Community Development through the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme.

Fiona Monaghan, head of activities product development at Fáilte Ireland said: “The River Shannon is a signature visitor experience within the Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands regional brand and offers huge tourism potential for both domestic and international visitors.

“This investment in Connaught Harbour and the wider Portumna area will help to stimulate greater tourism and visitor activity in this area. These exciting developments will significantly enhance the outdoor recreation infrastructure portfolio in the destination and have the potential to have a transformative impact on Portumna and Lough Derg as a key visitor destination on the Shannon.” 
 
Jim Cullen, chief executive of Galway County Council said: “This redevelopment project will totally revitalise this area and will add another attractive amenity to the county, for the people who live here and for those who visit.”
 
Waterways Ireland regional manager Éanna Rowe added: “These projects have significant economic and social benefit and will really increase the recreational and amenity value of this area. I look forward to continuing to work with the Department of Rural and Community Development, Fáilte Ireland and with Galway County Council to bring them to fruition for the people of Galway and beyond.”

Waterways Ireland advises masters of vessels and users of the Shannon Navigation that significant redevelopment works at Connaught Harbour will commence in the coming weeks.

A new public marina adjacent to Connaught Harbour and redevelopment of the bridge yard site will be undertaken from September to December, followed by some completion works and pile removals in July 2023.

Connaught Harbour and the quay wall at the bridge yard site will be closed for mooring of vessels from this Sunday 18 September until the completion of the works. All vessels moored in these areas should vacate the moorings by this date, the cross-border body for Ireland's inland waterways advises.

New lock opening hours have been introduced on the Shannon Navigation as the 2022 boating season gets under way.

The new times have been agreed and implemented following a lock-keeping review process. The primary objectives of this review were to:

• improve the work/life balance of the lock/bridge keepers;
• help future-proof lock keeping on the Shannon Navigation;
• increase operational efficiency within the region; and
• continue to provide a high level of service to vessels travelling on the navigation.

As of last Monday 14 March, locks on the Shannon Navigation will be open from 9.30am to 6.30pm on weekdays and Saturdays, and 9.30am to 6pm on Sundays. From next Friday 1 April to the end September, weekday and Saturday hours extend by an hour to 7.30pm.

In October, weekday and Saturday hours will be 9.30am to 6.30pm. And for the winter season from 1 November this year to 13 March 2023, hours will be reduced to 9am to noon on weekdays and Saturdays, and 9am to 11am on Sundays.

Opening times for Portumna Bridge have also changed. Until and including next Thursday 31 March, the bridge will open six times on weekdays and Saturdays (10am, 11am, 12.40pm, 2.30pm, 4.30pm, 5.30pm) and five times on Sundays (10am, 12.30pm, 2.30pm, 4pm, 5pm).

From Friday 1 April to the end of September, there will be an additional opening at 6pm on weekdays and Saturdays, and 11am on Sundays.

And over the winter season from 1 November, there will be only three openings on weekdays and Saturdays (9.30am, 10.30am, 11.30am) and two on Sundays (9.30am, 10.30am).

As the boating season commences, Waterways Ireland reminds masters of vessels and waterways users that COVID-19 continues to be present within the population, and urges continued vigilance and appropriate precautions to prevent its spread while using the inland waterways.

In this context, Waterways Ireland says toll-free passage will continue for the 2022 boating season on the Shannon Navigation.

#PortumnaHarbour - Motorhome bye-laws for the newly refurbished Portumna Harbour are being redrafted over a legal issue.

And it could be two months before the new regulations are in place, according to Galway Bay FM.

The redeveloped harbour on Waterways Ireland’s Shannon Navigation was only opened to the public last month, with upgraded marina berths and improved parking facilities to accommodate camper vans, as previously reported on Afloat.ie.

The Minister of State for the Office of Public Works and Flood Relief, Mr. Seán Canney, T.D., today opened the refurbished Harbour and Amenity Park on the Shannon Navigation in Portumna. Developed by Waterways Ireland, Galway County Council and the Office of Public Works and jointly funded by Fáilte Ireland under the Lough Derg Stimulus Fund the €750k project involved harbour and onshore works.

The harbour works included the doubling of the moorings space capacity at this ever popular location, upgrade of berths, re-paving of the quay area, installation of cut stone walls and installation of a hoist for disabled boaters. The onshore works included the upgrade of the service block (with toilets and showers), car parking and access road. A further development of integrated services for camper vans has also been completed which will see for the first time the provision of facilities and services for the growing numbers of visiting camper vans to Ireland.

Commenting at the redevelopment, Minister Canney said “The improvement works undertaken here at Portumna Harbour have been extensive and will prove important in increasing visitor numbers to this scenic area of County Galway. The project, funded jointly by Fáilte Ireland and developed by the Office of Public Works, Galway County Council and Waterways Ireland, will make an excellent facility for boaters, tourists and those who enjoy waterway activities. I have no doubt that this facility will develop and promote activity tourism and will add to this region’s reputation as one of Ireland’s most attractive and enjoyable destinations for visitors from both at home and abroad which is one of the key elements of the Government’s Action Plan for Rural Development.”

This project has been funded by Fáilte Ireland and administered through the Lough Derg Marketing Group. A key element of the Lough Derg Marketing Group is product development and all the agencies engaged in the Group including Waterways Ireland, Fáilte Ireland, the Local Authorities, Inland Fisheries Ireland and private sector representatives have worked collaboratively to deliver the Lough Derg Roadmap, the strategic tourism development plan for the region.

Dawn Livingstone, Chief Executive of Waterways Ireland stated “Portumna is a key destination and gateway on the Shannon Navigation area for domestic and international visitors. The development here in Portumna is part of our strategy in Waterways Ireland and is key in encouraging further economic activity in the town and indeed wider Lough Derg."

Waterways Ireland will continue to work in partnership to develop new projects which benefit the people living along the Shannon as well as visitors and tourists.

#LoughDerg - Two years after Lough Derg Marina sold for more than three times its guide price, another marina on the third-largest lake on the island of Ireland has come on the market.

As The Irish Times reports, more than €2.5 million is being sought for Cloondavaun Bay Marina near Portumna — a 50-berth property with almost a kilometre of lake frontage and a range of modern services for boat owners, as well a four-bed detached home.

Subject to planning, estate agents CBRE say the marina is most suited to aquatic tourism, from private berthing to angling and watersport on the lough.

There is also scope to expand its berthage to accommodate as many as 100 more vessels.

#Flooding - Met Éireann confirms that further flooding is expected as prolonged falls of very heavy rain begin tonight (Friday 11 December) continuing through Saturday with totals of 30 to 50mm on lower ground.

Towns and villages along the Shannon have been warned to be braced for the worst flooding in that river's catchment for 20 years.

Galway Bay FM reports that four water pumps are already on standby in Portumna, where crews have managed to keep waters from rising over the bridge that connects the south-east Galway town to Tipperary.

Flooding is only the latest issue in the town, as a local councillor has complained about persistent dumping at Portumna Marina from illegally parked vehicles – though the waste has since been removed.

Pollution is also a problem in Clarinbridge, just outside Galway city, where locals fear the area's famous oysters, already downgraded from their 'A' status – allegedly due to runoff from a water treatment plant in Athenry – will be downgraded to the point of shutting down all harvesting. Galway Bay FM has more HERE.

#InlandWaters - Waterways Ireland has gone on site at Castle Harbour in Portumna, Co Galway with a programme of works to expand the recreational and tourism capacity of the harbour area.

The programme involves improvements to the harbour, service block and car park and is funded by Fáilte Ireland under the Lough Derg Stimulus Fund.

The project is a partnership between Galway County Council and Waterways Ireland who each own different parts of the site.

The service block, car park and boat pump-out are currently leased and maintained by Galway County Council, while the harbour area and existing moorings are owned and maintained by Waterways Ireland.

Castle Harbour is in the grounds of the Portumna Demesne on the shore of Lough Derg and is immediately surrounded by the castle and formal gardens, community gardens, medieval abbey, forest park and nature reserve.

Improving the capacity of both the harbour and the amenity area will have an immediate impact on the level of access and usage of the surrounding facilities.

In the harbour, the finger jetties are to be widened, lengthened and clad in hardwood timber, connecting them with the end concrete pillar. The finger moorings will also receive low level safety lighting and water & electricity connections. This will enhance the practical use and visual characteristics of the main harbour.

The work will bring the mooring facilities up to the standard that Waterways Ireland currently provides on new installations along the navigations.

The existing boat pump-out facility will be updated and the existing public lighting around the harbour will be replaced with low intensity directional lighting. Improving accessibility for boat users with a disability through the installation of a boat hoist is a key provision of the programme. New paving and the cladding of the existing wall around the harbour is also planned.

The existing service block is to be modernised and the general amenity area is to have seating areas & picnic tables and low intensity directional lighting. The planting of some native species of trees and shrubs will add to the visual amenity of the general area.

The existing car park is currently used for visitor parking and by recreational vehicles (RVs) who use the site as a stopover. The plan is to resurface the area and formalise the parking areas and facilities for these users, including the regulation and provision of services such as water and electricity to enhance the visitor experience to the site.

Waterways Ireland says it recognises the environmental designations of the area and has scoped, planned and is carrying out the works in compliance with best practice.

The work is expected to be completed early in 2016.​