Northern Sound have reported on a call by Waterways Ireland, Monaghan County Council and Failte Ireland, who are collectively seeking “to engage with those who might be interested in delivering a high-quality visitor experience with a focus on both on-water and land-based activities, from a new facility being developed in Clones.” (read: to encourage businesses to destroy their capital ).
It is time for a reality check here. What is being developed in Clones is a half mile long open air swimming pool with the potential to become a floating halting site. It will be unconnected to anything else for the foreseeable future (and with any luck, for ever).
Even if the WI and Sinn Fein wet dream of a “restored” Ulster Canal came into existence, Clones will be the terminus of a long branch line at the end of the network. No-one is going to base a boat there long term as based on maximum speeds on the canals to prevent wash damage, half a day of each journey will be wasted getting to/from Clones to the rest of the network.
As such, anyone putting money into any such business venture(s) may as well just take cash out of the bank and burn it.