By Andy Spearman

About 40 years ago there was a big push among local business people to have Drogheda recognised as the “Gateway to the Boyne Valley”, there was much talk about the potential tourism spin-offs from leisure activities such as walking, cycling and boating offered by the Boyne Navigation and its towpath.

Like so many other things though, whilst the idea was good, nothing ever came of it because neither the political will or the money were there.

Things have moved on in the meantime though, and these days there is money available for greenways all over the country and the Boyne Valley, one of the most scenic areas in the country, is crying out for greater access for walkers and cyclists.

The ramparts and boardwalk from Drogheda to Oldbridge is fine for a quick spin and it is very popular with locals, but at just 4.3kms long, nobody is going to travel far to cycle or walk it. Extend it to Navan and beyond however and suddenly it becomes much more attractive to visitors.

If it was extended all the way to Navan and linked up to the recently opened Boyne Valley to Lakelands Greenway which runs for 30kms from Navan to Kingscourt it would be a game changer and open up the area to a whole new audience.

The Boyne Navigation was built in the 18^th century to provide a transport link to Drogheda Port for the mills in Navan and Slane, it consists of a series of canals and navigable stretches of the river. It never reached its commercial potential however thanks to the introduction of first the railway and then road transportation.

For several years though, a number of tour boats ran trips up and down the river and, for a while the navigation became a popular attraction for tourists but that too eventually failed and sadly the waterway was abandoned and left to fall into decay.

Thanks to the vision of members of the Boyne branch of the Inland Waterways Association of Ireland (IWAI) however, the basic fabric of the waterway has been retained as far as it has been possible on their budget.

The IWAI has been campaigning for decades for the restoration of the Boyne Navigation into what they say could be a major attraction for walking, boating and cycling for both locals and tourists.

They are hoping that the current upsurge of interest in greenways and the much talked about plan for restoring the towpath of the Boyne Navigation into a route for cyclist and walkers can be enlarged to include the restoration of the waterway itself.

It is so sad to see the waterway overgrown and largely abandoned when it could be yet another jewel in the historic and ancient Boyne valley.

The IWAI people say that when the Greenway is finally installed it must also include the restoration of the canal and its various locks, work that they have started on a voluntary basis over many years.

They are organising a series of Information Days and meetings with local politicians, rural community organisations and civic groups to discuss opportunities to restore the navigation and have it become a destination providing heritage, tourism and health promotion values for residents, businesses and visitors. 

The Boyne Navigation branch of the IWAI have been carrying out some sterling work for over 17 years to restore and breathe new life into the waterway and perhaps their best known project has been the restoration of the sea lock (Lock 1) at Oldbridge which is on the 4.3km Boyne Greenway from Drogheda to Oldbridge. 

The Guard Lock (Lock 2) in Oldbridge along with the Staleen Lower lock (Lock 3) have also been restored, the canal at Oldbridge has been dredged and the water levels are being stabilized with the various side weirs and spillways.  

“When complete the Boyne Navigation will become a real economic driver for the Boyne valley region, not as an industrial corridor envisaged by the early investors, but as an internationally known destination for recreation, education, physical activity and soft-adventure” an IWA spokesperson said.