Alison Alderton reports…
THE EU Just Transition Fund is helping to transform Ireland’s hidden heartlands with work forging ahead over recent years on numerous projects along the River Shannon corridor. Shannonbridge, once in the centre of the peat harvesting area of the midlands and probably the area which took the greatest brunt of the effect of Bord na Móna disengaging from peat production, is one of the latest River Shannon ports to undergo some major changes.
A longtime favourite destination for boaters, Shannonbridge frequently struggles to accommodate visiting boaters but with a proposed 50% increase in berthing this may change the fortunes for this interesting port of call. It was announced in March 2024 that Waterways Ireland (WI) planned to extend the existing harbour area to create more berths as part of its Shannon Masterplan. More recently, Offaly County Council has granted planning permission for 108 metres of new floating jetty on the eastern bank of the Shannon at Shannonbridge.
The new jetty will provide safe mooring facilities for cruisers and smaller boats which currently, during peak times, find themselves having to double up in order to visit Shannonbridge, which is not ideal on a flowing river. The new jetty will also include a section to allow paddlers easy access both on and off their canoes (new canoe trails in the area are expected to be developed soon) while a potential berth for a tour boat operator has also been noted in proposals.
A welcome increase in tourism is anticipated with the installation of the new jetty which has thrown up other concerns including the disposal of domestic waste from boaters and the possible need for parking facilities for bicycles and cars. All of these issues will need to be addressed.
It is good to know that Shannonbridge will now be accessible to more boaters and that a new future in tourism awaits this once industrial setting. The heart of Shannonbridge is typical of the region, linear in fashion with one main street housing shops and pubs on both sides. This leads down to the waterfront where it crosses the never still waters of the River Shannon on a spectacular 16-arch stone bridge dating from 1700. On the opposite shore, a Napoleonic fortress looms over the river https://shannonbridgefort.ie/ now housing a restaurant and exhibition where visitors can learn more about the site and surrounding area.
There is, and always has been, plenty to do at Shannonbridge and with the promise of easier access for boaters it is set to thrive and refashion a new future for itself. Other sites of interest nearby include the monastic site of Clonmacnoise, accessible either by road or river, and while in the area it would be a shame to miss out on the delightful River Suck offering navigation to the town of Ballinasloe. An increasing number of greenways are also accessible, making Shannonbridge ideally suited as a new hub of tourism in the Shannon valley.
Offaly County Council has warmly welcomed the recent announcement made by Darragh O’ Brien TD, Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, outlining that €1 million in funding from the EU Just Transition Fund 2021-2027 has been awarded for the upgrading of the Dalton Centre in Shannonbridge.
The Dalton Centre, on the site adjacent to the West Offaly Power Station, was formally transferred by the ESB to Offaly County Council in May 2024 with the chief executive, Anna Marie Delaney, advising that it will allow the local authority to deliver tangible and meaningful benefits to the local communities in West Offaly in response to their needs.
The Dalton Centre is a large 1200 sq m industrial building on a four-hectare site and has only ever been used to house archive material belonging to the ESB. An Expression of Interest was run by Offaly County Council in September 2024 so as to identify potential uses for the building, which would in turn provide a much-needed boost to the local economy in Shannonbridge and the surrounding areas.
Ms Delaney recently reiterated Offaly County Council’s commitment to the former peat communities in West Offaly who have been most impacted by the cessation of commercial peat harvesting and the closure of peat-fired power stations in the county in recent years. With the assistance of the EU Just Transition Fund, an upgraded building and site will now be offered to parties willing to enter into a long-term lease. Interested parties must be committed to economic diversification or training which supports the development of skills that are now required for the new and emerging businesses within the low carbon economy.
The EU Just Transition Fund developments are certainly ones to watch and with other Shannon ports, such as Banagher, also heading for a ‘makeover’ the transformations will change the face of Ireland’s hidden heartlands forever.
