Leafy With Lovelocks… Dublin’s Grand Canal

A report published today seeks to unlock the on-water recreation potential of the Grand Canal between Portobello and Kylemore Road

27.01.23

Life, Visit

Dublin City Council and Waterways Ireland today launched The Grand Canal Recreation Activation and Animation: Portobello to Kylemore Road Report – a new study that considers the outdoor recreation opportunities of the Grand Canal and its towpaths in this part of the city.

The report recommends a collaborative, community-based approach to unlock the on-water recreation potential of the Grand Canal from Portobello to Kylemore Road.

Speaking at the report launch, Máirín Ó Cuireáin of Waterways Ireland noted that this part of the canal has limited on-water activity at present, even though it has one of the longest stretches of the canal in the city with no navigation locks. “We think there is a significant opportunity to unlock the potential of the Grand Canal and its towpaths for local communities, Dubliners and visitors to the city.”

Commissioned jointly by Dublin City Council and Waterways Ireland, the report by Irish Leisure Consultants took in the views and knowledge of local communities and stakeholders in and around the canal, as well as the ambitions of national and local strategies and plans.

The consultation process considered the potential for greater recreational uses, local environmental stewardship, celebrating the heritage of the canal, and supporting active travel and the development of a greenway.

The report recommends a collaborative approach, with an initial programme of community-based activities and leadership training to enhance a sense of place and develop perceptions and engagement with the canal, followed by the physical improvements to create links with adjoining neighbourhoods and nodes and zones of interest along the canal.

The first actions this Spring and Summer will see the project partners work with local stakeholders to pilot a number of on-water activities and explore sustainable initiatives to unlock the potential of the city’s Grand Canal.

You can read the report here.

Photos by Mark Steadman via Waterways Ireland

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