Waterways Ireland move could unlock 'vast' potential at key Offaly Grand Canal site

WORK on the new Grand Canal depot outside Tullamore is scheduled to begin next year, opening the way for the redevelopment of the harbour in the town centre.

A €200,000 contract was signed today (Thursday, November 10) with Grafton Architects for the design of a masterplan for the harbour area, a 3.7 acre site off Harbour Street and Store Street.

The masterplan will set out a blueprint for a mixed commercial and residential development but no work can take place until the site is vacated by Waterways Ireland.

The harbour and marina are currently home to a dry dock, mechanical and engineering workshop, and the Republic's only lock gate manufacturing facility.

Planning permission has been granted for a project at Cappincur and Waterways Ireland aim to move all of their Tullamore activities to that site on a phased basis in 2023 and 2024.

“We've done some enabling works to date,” Garret McGrath, eastern regional manager with Waterways Ireland, told the Tribune.

“We've recently appointed an architect to bring the project forward and we're hoping in 2023, 2024 to deliver that project,” he said.

“It'll be 2024 before it is substantially complete. We will probably move out in a phased manner.”

Meanwhile, a team at Grafton Architects – the internationally renowned firm where Tullamore native Yvonne Farrell is a principal designer – are now beginning work on the design of a masterplan for the harbour area.

The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien TD, was in Tullamore today for the signing of the design contract.

The €200,000 project will assess the development potential of the Grand Canal harbour site, as well as the nearby Young’s Store on Convent Road.

Under the project, Grafton Architects will prepare development options for the site and a viability appraisal.

They will then prepare a masterplan following direction from the Waterways Ireland and Offaly County Council project management team on the preferred option.

The project is funded through an Urban Regeneration & Development Fund award of €150,000 from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, and funding of €25,000 each from Waterways Ireland and Offaly County Council.

Speaking at the signing, Minister O'Brien described Tullamore as “one of the hearts of the hidden heartlands”.

“A lot of our towns over the years turned their backs from the rivers, turned their backs from the canals and it's about now refocusing and opening up these fantastic spaces and public realms for people that can help for regeneration, rejuvenation; also residential and getting more people living and working on our rivers. The potential for this is vast,” he said.

“You see more and more people, particularly through the couple of years of Covid, staycationing and visiting parts of the country, even people living in communities that didn't know what was there. We've got to capitalise on that and that is what this type of development does.”

In the site, 2.2 acres are available for development, and two of those acres are owned by Waterways Ireland.

The remainder is owned by Offaly County Council and licensed to Waterways Ireland. Young’s Store is a three-storey former warehouse, which is owned by Waterways Ireland. It is on Convent Road and faces across the canal to Convent View.

Mr McGrath said: “The harbour is located within the oldest heritage quarter of the town and in the early 19th century was a bustling trading location along the Grand Canal, linking Dublin to the Midlands and the west of Ireland. With the demise in use of canals for trading and their subsequent development mainly for recreational boating, the harbour area became the centre for lock-gate manufacture and mechanical workshops for the inland waterways.

“While it has been a vital part of Waterways Ireland’s operations over the past number of years, the relocation of our operations unlocks the opportunity to redevelop the site, reinstating it as an integral part of the town, with the potential to, once again, become a bustling waterfront space for residents, visitors, and business alike. I am excited to see what can be done with this site and how our wonderful waterways can be further utilised for the benefit of not just the town, but the entire region.”

Offaly County Council chief executive, Anna Marie Delaney commented: “Our vision for Offaly is one of sustainable economic, social and community development – resulting in a county that is an attractive place to live, work in or visit. The Grand Canal Harbour masterplan project is another step in that direction.”

Ms Delaney added: “The site is a key location within the town, just a short walk from the town centre, and provides excellent waterway and canal bank access to the Grand Canal. I am really excited to see what can be done to reintegrate this area into the town and to see how it can once again become a focal point, boosting economic and recreation potential for the town of Tullamore, the county of Offaly and the wider region.”

The masterplan is due to be presented in mid-2023.