LAUNCH OF AN t-SUCA FIÁIN IN BALLINASLOE

The official launch of an tSuca Fiáin took place in Ballinasloe on Friday last at the Waterways Ireland Marina in Ballinasloe. The festival programme was launched by Mr. Noel Treacy, T.D., Minister of State and he outlined the many highlights of the busy schedule of events planned for the 7 day festival in July. The Festival will run from the 10th to the 16th of July and incorporates art exhibitions, concerts, theatre performances and much more besides.

Speaking at the launch, Ms. Aoife Morrissy, Press Officer with Waterways Ireland said, "This is the second year that Waterways Ireland has been involved in the sponsorship of the festival and it is wonderful to see how the Festival Committee have incorporated the waterway and Marina into the festival programme as a venue for events and as basis for the theme of the events. It is important that the Marina is seen as an amenity for the people of Ballinasloe and visitors to Ballinasloe and not just for boaters from all parts of the island".

Ms. Morrissy added that the aim of the Waterways Ireland sponsorship programme is to create greater awareness of the waterways and to bring people to the waterways for a variety of reasons such as community festivals like this, rowing or sailing regattas, and even for international sporting events such as the Water Ski World Cup which will take place on Lough Erne in August.

Waterways Ireland is a North/South Body established in 1999 under the British-Irish Agreement. Waterways Ireland's remit is to manage, maintain, develop and restore the inland navigable waterways of the island of Ireland principally for recreational purposes. The network of waterways, which includes the link from Ballinasloe to the River Shannon, allows travel from Belleek to Waterford, Limerick to Dublin and many places in between, without ever touching land. The inland waterways are a wonderful resource which can be enjoyed and experienced by all in many different ways.

Since 2001, in addition to the Marina in Ballinasloe, Waterways Ireland has provided new moorings on the Shannon Navigation at Carrick on Shannon, Boyle, Ballyleague, Shannonbridge, Clonmacnoise, Mountshannon (on Lough Derg) and Limerick. Waterways Ireland have enhanced moorings at Spencer Harbour and Cleighran More on Lough Allen and extended the harbour at Scarriff in Clare, where a new Regional office has just been built. Schemes at Portrunny on Lough Ree and Garrykennedy on Lough Derg have also been finalised. All of these developments provide some 2800m of moorings, which is an increase of over 40% on the mooring capacity that existed prior to 2001.

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Further information from Waterways Ireland Press Office
353 71 9650787 or by email to info@waterwaysireland.org

Date: 26.06.2006
PR06017