SHANNON-ERNE WATERWAY
Leitrim Village Community Web Site
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May 1994 saw the official opening of the new £30 million Shannon-Erne Waterway. This magnificent waterway links two of the greatest leisure waterways of Europe - the Shannon and the Erne, enabling boats to travel some 250 miles from Limerick to Belleek in Northern Ireland.
The Linking of these two great systems has resulted in the creation of one of the most splendid waterways in Europe. At a time when a great number of waterways are being damaged or endangered by pollution, the new Shannon-Erne Waterway stands out as one enjoying clean, fresh, sparkling qualities, with a thriving fish and wildlife content, and is the jewel in Ireland's crown. Cruisers are available for hire at Carrick-on-Shannon, Ballinamore, Belturbet and Enniskillen, with day boat hire facilities also available. The Shannon-Erne Waterway is served by an abundance of quality accommodation, ranging from hotels, Guest Houses, B&B's, Farmhouses to Self-Catering, all of which are of the highest standard. There are also plenty of good quality restuarants and traditional pubs to occupy any holidaymaker, and the friendliness and hospitality of the local people adds to the overall attractiveness. The original Ballinamore-Ballyconnell Canal was constructed between 1846 and 1860 to link the Shannon and the Erne for commercial traffic, but with the advent of more efficient rail systems, the canal was closed and abondoned in 1869. Allegedly, only eight boats ever used the canal in it's short nine-year life. Construction work began in 1991, and was completed by 1993 by ESB International; this time the canal was to serve a different purpose - it was reconstructed as a tourist and leisure amenity, under a joint initiative by the Irish and British Governments. The total length of the waterway is 62.5km and in all, it traverses 11.5km of lake, 42.5km of canalised river and 8.5km of still water canal. All sixteen locks are fully automatic, by use of a 'swipe' lock card, between the hours of 9am and 8pm daily. This card, available from local shops, supermarkets, tourist offices or Waterway patrollers is also used for the facilities at each of the six fully-serviced public mooring, located at Leitrim Village, Keshcarrigan, Ballinamore, Haughtons Shore (Lough Garadise), Ballyconnell and Aghlane in County Fermanagh. Standard amenities include a slipway, car park, toilets, chemical toilets, showers, pumpout, washing machine and spin dryer. The Department of Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht (formerly the Office of Public Works), and the Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland are responsible for the management and maintenance of the Waterways, and for the employment of the Waterway Patrollers or Rangers. There are 31 road and accommodation bridges on the Waterway, which have been reconstructed for the range of river cruisers normally available on charter, up to eight berth. Larger vessels are subject to the following maximum dimension: Lenght 24m, Beam 4.5m, Draft 1.2m, height from waterline 3.2m. There is a speed restriction on the canal stretches and harbour areas of 5km per hour, ie. 3 mph. The navigation channel is marked throughout by perches (fixed stakes with a top mark,) and the conventional marking used on the Erne system apply from the Erne through the Woodford Reach to the midpoint of the summit reach. Thereafterm the conventions of the Shannon Navigation apply. The Shannon-Erne Waterway is already well-established with anglers for its abundant trout and coarse fish. Wildlife includes Badgers, Otters, Foxes, Kingfishers, Mute and Whooper swans and many species of duck. A blend of old and new makes the Shannon-Erne Waterway an ideal holiday destination.____________________________________________________