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Coalisland Canal Walks 2007 Walk the Line on Boxing Day. Tuesday 26th December 2006
It’s that time of year again and the members of Coalisland Canal Branch of the Inland Waterways Association of Ireland are holding their annual Boxing Day Walk from the Cornmill to The Moor Bridge and back. Walkers will leave the Cornmill at 2pm and the distance to The Moor Bridge is just over one and a half miles. The bitmac towpath is an excellent surface to walk on as the hundreds of daily users during the past year can testify. Everyone is welcome and the kissing gates are wheelchair and pram friendly. In order to facilitate the crowd the big gates will be open during the walk. On returning to the Cornmill the usual refreshments will be available with the added Christmas treat of Mulled Wine. Don’t miss this opportunity to get out in the fresh air, stretch your legs, lose a bit of weight and spend a few hours in pleasant company. The Coalisland Canal Branch wishes all its friends A Happy Christmas and Every Good Wish for the New Year. Meet you down The Line on Boxing Day. It’s a date!
Easter Walk.
Coalisland Canal Branch are holding a Walk on Easter Tuesday to celebrate the 850 metres extension of towpath from Macks Bridge to Moor Bridge which has been covered in asphalt by Rivers Agency with funding from the Department of Culture Arts and Leisure. Counting the stretch from the Dam Lock to Mack’s Bridge and the part from the High Bridge to Doyle’s Bridge almost half of the four and a half miles long towpath is now covered. The newly completed walk is particularly attractive with the ‘Wee Lock’ about half way along it. From that point the quiet Canal waters are on one side of the towpath and the rushing Torrent River on the other. The Technical Services Department of Dungannon & South Tyrone Borough Council has agreed to supply seating and litter bins along the towpath. A member of our Branch Roy Wilkins, Managing Director of John Stevenson and Co. Ltd. received an offer from one of his suppliers Lafarge Cement Ireland to sponsor a community based environmental scheme and Roy nominated our Branch. As a result a quantity of trees to the value of £1000 has been purchased and Bertie McMinn Director of Technical Services of the Council has agreed that his department will plant them at appropriate places along the Canal and this is currently being done. The counters installed in December last are checked monthly by our Secretary John Cavanagh and show that an average of almost 300 people ‘walk the Line’ every day. It is because of this high public usage that DCAL continue to do work for us so please keep it up. The towpaths are for the use and enjoyment of everyone both old and young but motorcycles and quads are banned by law. Pedal cycles are permitted. However it is important that they ride in single file and sound their bells when approaching walkers. The towpath is not a racetrack and moderate speeds must be observed. A little tolerance between walkers and cyclists will go a long way and it is hoped that common courtesy is observed by all users at all times. Enjoy yourselves but not at the expense of others. The Easter Tuesday Canal Walk starts at 2pm from the Cornmill and it is just over three miles to Moor Bridge and back. If you don’t feel able to walk the full distance you can join in or leave anywhere you please. The walk is wheelchair friendly and there are refreshments in the Cornmill afterwards. We are hoping for the usual large attendance and if you continue to support the efforts of our Branch we will continue to deliver more improvements to our Canal.
Jim Canning Branch Chairman
Successful Christmas Canal Walk.
There was a big turn out for the second Christmas Walk of Coalisland Canal on Boxing Day organised by the Coalisland Canal Branch of the Inland Waterways Association of Ireland. DCAL have recently installed counters on the Line so that an accurate numbers of users of the towpath can be recorded.
On Boxing Day the counter registered 860 which means that at least 430 people joined the walk to Macks Bridge and back. The fine weather contributed to the enjoyment and most people availed of the refreshments in the Cornmill afterwards.
The book recently published by the Branch – “This Wonder-Working Canal, A History of the Tyrone Navigation” by Thomas McIlvenna was on sale and copies are available in the shops or on the IWAI website. www.coalislandcanal.com
The Branch express their thanks to DCAL, Rivers Agency and Dungannon Borough Council Works Department for their work on the Canal, to Murphys Supermarket for their generosity, to Finbar for his assistance in the Cornmill and to the local press for the excellent coverage which they continue to give to the activities of the Branch.
Another bit of progress – following recent negotiations with the Branch the Department of Culture Arts and Leisure have agreed to extend the bitmac surfacing on the towpath as far as the Moor Bridge and it is expected that the work will be completed for the Annual Canal Walk in the Summer. Almost half of the towpath from The Point to Coalisland will then have a bitmac surface.
The amount of work undertaken by DCAL on Coalisland Canal over the past six years is a result of the great community support given to the Branch and to the massive public use of the facilities provided. Branch members are grateful for that support and ask you to keep it up.
A Happy New Year to all
Jim Canning Charman
Discover ----------------------------------------- CANAL WALK Wednesday 29th June 2005
Coalisland Canal Walk Bigger Than Ever.
Despite the forecast for heavy rain the weather was fine and dry for the Annual Coalisland Canal Walk on Wednesday night the 29th June. The biggest crowd of walkers, estimated at well over 500, walked the four and a half miles from the Point in Derrytresk to the Cornmill in Coalisland town centre. We were pleased to welcome IWAI President Brian Cassells who is also a member of our local branch and many of our good friends from other branches who have never missed one of our walks over the years. It was good to see so many young members of local football clubs taking part in this years walk. The Canal is part of our past but we believe that it will also be an important part of our future. Thanks to the work of Willie Milligan and his team from Rivers Agency the towpaths were in excellent condition. The path from the lockhouse to the Point was newly blinded with quarry dust and the grassy areas were well mown. The Technical Services Department of the Council cleared the area of litter to their usual high standard and reacted quickly to solve a couple of last minute dumping problems. As in other years Colin Biggs kindly supplied the transport and made many bus trips to ferry hundreds of walkers of all ages from the Cornmill to the Point to join the large crowd of people who had made their own way there. Branch members in their new “high visibility jackets” emblazoned with the Branch name ensured that everyone crossed the Reenaderry Road, the Moor Road and the Gortgonis Road in safety. The Order of Malta personnel were also in attendance and thankfully their services were not required. On arrival at the Dam Lock St. Malachy’s Pipe Band Edendork led the walkers to the Cornmill. It was the bands first appearance in Coalisland since they re-formed early this year and they looked good and sounded even better. Their contribution to the evening was well applauded by all. Most of the walkers then retired to the Mill where the customary refreshments served by our ladies committee were much welcomed. We thank Murphy’s Supermarket and Springisland Supermarket who generously supplied most of the food. As usual Finbar had tables and chairs laid out for the weary walkers. While everyone was sitting and eating they were entertained with a fine seisun by branch member Jimmy McIlvenna and a large group of his friends from Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann. The branch are grateful for the press and radio coverage given both before and after the event and for their help throughout the year in keeping the public well informed of our progress. As at our Small Boats Rally last year the “icing on the cake” was supplied by our good friend and supporter John D. Quinn of Chieftain. He again came with his helicopter and ensured that some fine aerial photographs were taken of the procession of walkers along the towpath. Barney Herron kindly used his knowledge to devise a Canal Quiz leaflet for us and these were sold at £1 each to help raise funds for the branch. We would request that completed forms should be returned to any branch member or left in the Library before 15th of July. Our thanks to all who made the evening another success especially to the hundreds who again turned out to support our cause. Without your help over the years the Basin would now be a car park. With your help we have managed to get many improvements done and with your continued help we will eventually have a fully restored working canal back into the centre of our town. Future events: Re-discover Ducart’s Canal by bus -- Saturday 6th August (details later) Publication of Tommy Mc Ilvenna’s book on Coalisland Canal -- before Christmas. Jim Canning (Branch Chairman.) Your support over the years has been very effective, please keep it up. Enquiries: Jim Canning 02887740467 – John Cavanagh 02887748931 – James Walshe 02887748880 (Chairman) (Secretary) (Vice Chairman)
CHRISTMAS CANAL WALK
Hundreds Walk the Line. The newly refurbished towpath on Coalisland Canal was well and truly “christened” on Tuesday 28th December when over 300 people walked the mile long stretch from the town to Macks Bridge and back again. The weather kept good for the duration of the walk. A good mixture of men and women of all ages and a large number of children took part. On returning to the Cornmill the usual cup of tea and eats were available and mulled wine to mark the festive occasion proved very popular on a cold day. Addressing the walkers the Chairman of the Coalisland Canal Branch IWAI Jim Canning thanked everyone who attended for their continued support for the Canal. He said it was the magnificent turnout from the Community over the last number of years that had saved the Canal and which would eventually see it reopened. Expressing thanks to the Department of Culture Arts and Leisure for funding the work, Rivers Agency for carrying it out and Dungannon and South Tyrone Borough Council for supplying and erecting the seating and signage he said that funders liked to see the facilities they provided well used by the public. He was confident that the new towpath would in the future be a popular walk which was accessible to all. Urging the people to take ownership of the towpath he said it was for the enjoyment of all and that anyone misusing it with motorbikes or quads (which are illegal) should be confronted and ordered off at all times. Many members of the Lough Erne Branch who have been very helpful and supportive of the local Branch attended the walk. Ken Bell Secretary of the Branch and his wife Jean attended. Coalisland Branch is indebted to Ken and Jean who managed to sail half way up Coalisland Canal in a small boat last January. This venture created the idea of having the Small Boats Rally in April ’04. Brian Cassells Vice President of the Inland Waterways Association of Ireland congratulated Coalisland Canal Branch on their latest achievement. He said that he had been on every towpath in Ireland and this was the best surface he had ever seen adding that he realised that “only the best is good enough for Coalisland”. He urged everyone to support the reopening of the Ulster Canal. This would develop Lough Neagh and the whole canal system of Northern Ireland. Roy Wilkins on behalf of the Branch thanked all those who had helped on the walk especially the ladies who provided the refreshments. Sean Slater, Order of Malta thanked everyone who contributed to the collection which raised over £300. Since the walk the Order of Malta has decided to donate the money for the relief of those suffering from the tragic events in Asia. Jim Canning. Photos from Christmas Walk click to enlarge
WEDNESDAY 7th JULY 2004 ANNUAL CANAL WALK Fourth Annual Coalisland Canal Walk.
The weather was perfect on Wednesday evening 7th July for the fourth annual Coalisland Canal Walk. The biggest crowd yet enjoyed the four and a half miles walk in sunshine with a light breeze and plenty of talk. Collie Biggs provided the transport to bring four busloads from the Cornmill to The Point where they joined the large crowd already assembled there and it is estimated that over 500 took part in the walk. Two local charities the South Tyrone Branch of the Alzheimer’s Society and LILAC used the occasion to collect sponsorship and were very pleased with the response. The walkers were of all ages and we are grateful to the members from walking clubs who joined us. Four and a half miles just wasn’t enough for one man. Retired Council employee Johnny McKearney from Augheran cycled from his home to the Cornmill and walked to The Point arriving at 7.30pm just in time to join the throng of walkers for the return journey to Coalisland. The organisers Coalisland Canal Branch IWAI are delighted with the massive turnout in support of their efforts to re-open our Canal as community support for the project is vital. Much appreciation was expressed for the welcome cup of tea and sandwiches provided by the Ladies after the walk and we are again grateful to them for their help and to our local supermarkets Supervalue and Springisland for their contribution of foodstuff. Our thanks to Rivers Agency and the Works Department of the District Council for their help in having the Canal looking so well for the walkers and to Finbar Burns for the spic and span condition of the Cornmill. The walk was given extensive pre-publicity by all of the local papers, by Radio Ulster and by106FM. For their continued support the Branch is very grateful. Last but my no means least our thanks to the hundreds of people who walked the Line with us this year as well as previous years. Your “people power” has greatly speeded the progress towards the re-opening of the waterway. Only this month the long fight over many years to protect the Canal Basin in the centre of Coalisland from adverse development has been won. Dungannon and South Tyrone Borough Council has withdrawn its offer to lease that important part of our industrial heritage for a commercial car park. The 1400 people who signed Gabrielle Dalys petition in January 1998 protesting against the proposed sale by the Council of part of the Basin and the hundreds who walked the Canal each year since can be proud of that achievement – well done to all and keep up the good work. Photos from 2004 Walk click to enlarge
click to enlarge ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To mark the 50th Anniversary of IWAI A Small Boats Rally Was Held On The COALISLAND CANAL Saturday 17th April 2004 Photos of the Rally click here
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