The Ulster Canal
The ultimate dream of all waterway
enthusiasts is to be able to sail from Coleraine to Limerick. The missing
link is the now derelict Ulster Canal. Built in 1841 to link the Erne
system and the Shannon with Lough Neagh its success was short lived. A
poor water supply, inappropriately sized locks and the imminent arrival of
quicker rail and road transport sounded its death knell. Now the economic
prize is a different one, tourism, to bring much needed inward investment
to a forgotten corner of our land.
This is the millennium project to
illustrate co-operation and trust, the one that threatens none but
benefits all. The canal is a gem, a forgotten cultural and heritage jewel,
lets show our new face to the world, lets re-open the Ulster Canal now.
Brian Cassels