Pictured in Athlone on Monday, from left to right, Lar Power CEO Leitrim County Council, Eugene Cummins CEO Roscommon County Council, Paddy Matthews Fáilte Ireland, Paddy Mahon CEO Longford County Council, Pat Gallagher CEO Westmeath County Council, Cllr Aengus O’Rourke Deputy Mayor, Athlone-Moate Municipal District, Éanna Rowe, Waterways Ireland Regional Manager, Cllr Joe Murphy, Cathaoirleach Roscommon County Council, Cllr Frankie Keena, Cathaoirleach Westmeath County Council, John Mc Donagh, CEO Waterways Ireland, Minister Malcolm Noonan TD, Ciara Carberry, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Minister Darragh O’Brien, Fiona Monaghan Fáilte Ireland and Senator Eugene Murphy.

New White Bridge floating jetties launched by Ministers

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Cathaoirleach of Westmeath County Council Cllr Frankie Keena with Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien in Athlone on Monday.

Deirdre Verney

Published: Thu 2 Dec 2021, 4:42 PM

Last updated: Thu 2 Dec 2021, 4:45 PM

Two Government Ministers were among a large crowd of dignitaries to view new floating mooring facilities installed by Waterways Ireland between the White Bridge and Athlone's town bridge close to the newly revamped Athlone Boat Club on Monday.

Housing Minister Darragh O'Brien, and Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform Malcolm Noonan viewed the new boating initiative entitled White Bridge jetties, which is one of six projects completed along the Shannon, to mark the successes of the first year of the Shannon Tourism Masterplan.

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.

Meanwhile, Waterways Ireland has confirmed the moorings between the new Athlone Boat Club and the White Bridge will be free of charge for five consecutive days or seven days in a month in line with their other public moorings.

The new jetties are 70 metres long and can cater for shallower drafted boats on the inside and deeper drafted boats on the outside.

This, and a new slipway installed south of Athlone lock, close to Burgess Park, to facilitate increased access to the river were the local projects among six completed in year one of the ambitious plan, an investment of €890,000, along with funding of €219,000 from the Department of Rural and Community Development’s Town and Village Renewal Scheme.

Others included harbour improvements in Dromod, new floating moorings in Rooskey and Redbridge in Longford on the eastern side of Lough Ree, and a new canal walk in Rooskey.

“The success of year one of the Shannon Tourism Masterplan is a great example of collaboration between Waterways Ireland, Fáilte Ireland and the 10 local authorities along the Shannon water system,” Minister Darragh O'Brien said on Monday in Athlone, hailing the progress to date and what's planned for the future.

Welcoming the completion of the Athlone projects, Cllr Frankie Keena commented: “As Cathaoirleach of Westmeath County Council I was delighted to welcome Minister O'Brien and Minister of State Malcolm Noonan to Athlone this morning (Monday) to mark the completion of the first year of the Shannon masterplan and to launch the new jetty. The berths provided for cruisers and boats will help attract more tourists to Athlone”.

While stressing the importance of exploiting the river's potential in the future, Cllr Keena (FF) thanked Waterways Ireland, Fáilte Ireland and Westmeath County Council for their investment and input into projects to date.