People In Longford hope for a tourist boost after redevelopment work on the Royal Canal harbour at Clondra.
Richmond Harbour at Clondra (also spelled Cloondara) was named after Charles Lennox, 4th Duke of Richmond and the then Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, who officially opened the Royal Canal in 1817. For the next seventy years, the canal was a busy thoroughfare for both commercial and passenger traffic from Dublin to Longford via the Shannon navigation.
The Royal Canal went into a steady decline in the 1920s and by the 1970s was in danger of falling into disuse. Thanks to efforts by community and voluntary groups, the canal remained open and nine years ago Waterways Ireland assumed responsibility for it.
Waterways Ireland is working in partnership with Longford County Council and Fáilte Ireland to re-open the harbour, which is due for completion in six months. This is an extensive redevelopment explains Éanna Rowe from Waterways Ireland, and will include,
Jetties, redoing the actual harbour itself, putting in a service block, a small tourist office, a community facility.
Kevin Kidney from Fáilte Ireland is hopeful that the canal restoration will pave the way for further development in the area,
That it should secure jobs and hopefully maybe create some new jobs.
The first boats should make their way into Richmond Harbour this September, and local business owners like Frances MacPartland are ready,
We’re looking forward to it so much.
Karen Clabby from Longford Chamber of Commerce believes that people will now start to think of Longford as a tourist destination,
This is a fantastic development.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 11 April 2009. The reporter is Ciaran Mullooly.
