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It seems that Newry's main asset doesn't rate as important enough to be discussed by our Council officials.
Almost a year and a half after Newry, Mourne and Down District Council agreed to liaise with Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council to investigate future development of Newry Canal, absolutely nothing has been done. That's unless you call an online 'Teams' meeting that possibly took place liaising? 'Possibly' because there is no documentary evidence that it actually happened!
A meeting of the Council's Enterprise, Regeneration and Tourism Committee on 8 November 2021 saw Councillors agree to work with ABC Council to investigate development of the waterway. The agenda item was precipitated by correspondence from the Inland Waterways Association of Ireland Newry and Portadown Branch in October 2021 which suggested that both councils should consider re-opening Newry Canal as a working canal.
Councillors agreed on 8 November to "liaise with Council Officials in Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon Borough Council to consider correspondence from Inland Waterways Association of Ireland (IWAI) Newry & Portadown Branch, with a view to investigating joint working for the future development of Newry Canal and revert back to the ERT Committee with proposals to progress this."
FOI morsels
A Freedom of Information request to Newry, Mourne and Down District Council from Newry.ie asking for a copy of all correspondence/ discussions between Newry, Mourne and Down District Council and Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council in relation to their discussions with ABC resulted in two very short emails, an invitation to an onine Teams Meeting and a copy of the IWAI correspondence.
The first email dated 10 February 2022, 10.36am from person unknown to Conor Mallon, Director of ERT said "Are there any papers/ agenda for today's meeting"
The second from the PA of Conor Mallon, Director of ERT to person unknown dated 10 February 2022 12.13pm said "I attach letter which should provide some background to today's meeting." which presumably then included the IWAI letter.
With such a 'mountain' of information contained we decided to add to it by asking a few further questions:
1: Was there nothing recorded from the meeting of 10/2/2022 as mentioned in the email?
Response: Following a search, Newry, Mourne and Down District Council has identified no recorded information falling within the scope of your request.
2: Was there any other meetings since 10/2/2022 and if so can I have details of dates and minutes/ action points from them.
Response: Following a search, Newry, Mourne and Down District Council has identified no recorded information falling within the scope of your request.
3: Did the officials “revert back to ERT committee” and if so what date.
Response: I can advise that, to date, officers have not reverted back to the ERT Committee in relation to this matter.
Easiest Canal to Restore
The letter from Joseph Cunningham, IWAI Newry and Portadown Secretary explained that Newry Canal would be the easiest canal to restore and not inordinately expensive. In the letter Cunningham said "there has been no investment in, or consideration of, restoration of the waterway itself, in spite of the fact that The Newry-Portadown Canal would be the easiest canal to restore. It has the added value of being of great historic interest alongside recreational and tourist potential. Northern Ireland deserves one working canal."
He added "Contrary to expectations this would not be an inordinately expensive project. The major cost for a canal is the locks, but the majority of locks along the canal are in a good structural state and would be relatively easy to repair. The channel itself is just a matter of removing soil, that is digging, and clearing the existing waterway, adding sealing clay or/membrane. English canal restorers do this type of work on a routine basis."
Concluding the correspondence Cunningham said "We believe a viable case can be made. England, Scotland, Wales and the South of Ireland all have working canals bringing positive benefits to the tourism, recreational, educational and historical aspects of their respective countries. Disappointingly, the North of Ireland has none. We are being left behind by our neighbours. All that’s lacking is the political will at local and regional level. We also believe that you, as an executive officer of Council, are in a unique position to influence others and hope you can support this initiative."
Pivitol to the Development of Newry
During discussion at the November 2021 meeting reference was made to whether Newry Canal had been deemed obsolete and if this was the case, had the NI Assembly a role to ensure necessary funding was made available to have the Canal refurbished, and indeed reverse this decision.
Members also spoke of the history connected to Newry Canal and the links many families who lived in the area had with the Canal, and stressed the importance of working with Armagh Banbridge & Craigavon Borough Council and Inland Waterways to progress the development of the Canal thus enhance tourism potential and provide a link to the Albert Basin, and the possibility of navigating from this point to Portadown and on to Lough Neagh.
Reference was also made to how well the towpath was used by walkers, runners and cyclists and the benefits to health and tourism and how pivotal the canal was to the development of Newry and its link to maritime history, and if there was merit in exploring the development of the Canal in line with initiatives to develop greenways and blueways.
Minutes from the November meeting noted that "The points raised by Members would be taken into consideration during engagement with Armagh Banbridge & Craigavon Borough Council and a report would be brought back to the ERT Committee in due course."
Nearly a year and a half later that report still hasn't made it back to ERT and even if it did it seems that it would be very very short. Meanwhile the oldest Canal on the island of Ireland flows unloved through the heart of Newry City.
