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Waterways Ireland today officially opens the extension of Devenish Island’s east jetty, increasing mooring capacity to facilitate growth in visitor numbers to the island, one of Lough Erne’s premier tourist attractions.
Following a £285,000 (ca €338,000) investment, Devenish Island’s east jetty - which is owned and managed by Waterways Ireland – has been extended by 60 metres, increasing mooring capacity from six to twelve vessels, at the popular heritage site.
Devenish Island is home to monastic remains which date back to the sixth century, with significant Viking heritage. The site attracts over 20,000 visitors annually. An increase in-boat traffic in recent years necessitated the jetty extension.
John O’Dowd MLA, Minister for Infrastructure said: “I am delighted that my Department was able to provide just over £300k of funding towards this very worthwhile project. Devenish Island is an important and cherished heritage site, drawing many visitors each year, and it is indeed the most popular attraction on Lough Erne. The extension of the new jetty, will not only enhance the visitor experience to the island by broadening the range of visitors and reducing waiting times but will also ensure the viability of the site for years to come. This investment in a rural community also fits in with my departments commitment to tackling regional imbalance.”
Commenting on the completion of the extension, Garret McGrath Regional Manager, Waterways Ireland said: “Waterways Ireland’s purpose is to be the custodian of the inland navigations and collaborate to reimagine, maintain, develop, and promote them to sustain communities, environment, and heritage. We are delighted to complete the extension of the jetty at Devenish Island, creating additional capacity for visitors from near and far to experience a unique and beautiful island attraction, of great cultural and heritage significance. This is one of a number of projects Waterways Ireland has completed on Lough Erne since 2023, including an extension to Davy’s Island jetty, redecking of jetties at Trory, Muckross, Carrickreagh, Tully Castle, Inish Davar and Naan Island, and dredging at Kesh River for navigational purposes”.
June 2024 has been a significant month for Waterways Ireland, with the official opening just last week of Phase 2 of the Ulster Canal restoration from Clonfad, Co. Monaghan to a new Marina in Clones, featuring 1 km of restored canal, a 1.5km looped walk and an amenity area including parking, a service block, picnic area, performance space and bus/trailer spaces, on the route of the 180yr old Ulster Canal. Phase 1 of the Ulster Canal restoration saw the development of 2.5km of new navigation from Upper Lough Erne to Castle Saunderson. When Phase 3 of the Ulster Canal restoration is completed, it will open up boat travel between Lough Erne and Clones, which is anticipated to deliver a significant boost to the local economy, particularly in the recreation and tourism sectors.