Devenish Island jetty extended after rise in visitors and £300,000 investment

Nathan Russell
·2-min read
L-R: Sharon McDonnell, senior engineer of Waterways Ireland, John O’Dowd MLA, minister for infrastructure and Garret McGrath, regional manager of Waterways Ireland <i>(Image: Waterways Ireland)</i>
L-R: Sharon McDonnell, senior engineer of Waterways Ireland, John O’Dowd MLA, minister for infrastructure and Garret McGrath, regional manager of Waterways Ireland (Image: Waterways Ireland)

A new jetty extension has been launched on Devenish Island after a near £300,000 investment.

This extension at its east jetty facilitates the increase of visitor numbers by doubling the mooring capacity from six to 12 vessels.

On Thursday (June 27), Waterways Ireland, the authority responsible for inland waterways and overseeing the project, officially unveiled the 60-metre extension.

Read more: Crom Estate's new trails celebrated with community festival

The expanded jetty is part of ongoing efforts to accommodate the growing boat traffic at the island, a top attraction in Lough Erne.

It is home to monastic remains dating back to the sixth century with Viking heritage.

The island's increase in popularity over the years brought about plans for the extension, with over 20,000 tourists visiting the site each year.

John O’Dowd MLA, minister for infrastructure, said: "I am delighted that my department was able to provide just over £300k of funding towards this very worthwhile project.

"Devenish Island is an important and cherished heritage site, drawing many visitors each year, and it is indeed the most popular attraction on Lough Erne.

"The extension of the new jetty will not only enhance the visitor experience to the island by broadening the range of visitors and reducing waiting times but will also ensure the viability of the site for years to come.

"This investment in a rural community also fits in with my departments commitment to tackling regional imbalance.”

Garret McGrath, the regional manager of Waterways Ireland, said: "Waterways Ireland’s purpose is to be the custodian of the inland navigations and collaborate to reimagine, maintain, develop, and promote them to sustain communities, environment, and heritage.

"We are delighted to complete the extension of the jetty at Devenish Island, creating additional capacity for visitors from near and far to experience a unique and beautiful island attraction, of great cultural and heritage significance."

This is one of a number of projects Waterways Ireland has completed on Lough Erne since 2023, including an extension to Davy’s Island jetty, redecking of jetties at Trory, Muckross, Carrickreagh, Tully Castle, Inish Davar and Naan Island, and dredging at Kesh River for navigational purposes.”

  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next

Latest stories

  • ‘Stanley Johnson caused our flight to be cancelled’ – claim from passengers on BA plane diverted to Heathrow

    Exclusive: At one stage airport police were summoned to deal with an altercation, passengers say

  • "I'm not meant to be here": Ryanair holidaymaker boards the WRONG plane... and wakes up in Benidorm

    Jem Maybank realised something was wrong when she looked out and saw mountains and palm trees instead of Paris

  • Man bypasses Ryanair baggage restriction with hilarious solution

    A Ryanair passenger at Gdańsk Airport in Poland had a problem with his hand luggage at check-in - his suitcase was too big. To save himself 50 euros, the passenger came up with a hilarious solution.

  • The great Spanish Airbnb crackdown

    The writing has long been on the wall for Airbnb investors in Spain. Now, they are feeling the backlash. In the space of a fortnight, the cities of Palma, Malaga, Valencia and Barcelona have clamped down on short-term rentals (STRs), announcing strict restrictions.

  • Amal Clooney, 46, is glowing in flirty floral dress as she walks hand in hand with George Clooney

    George Clooney and his wife, Amal, were spotted in St Tropez this past week, and Amal made the most of the glorious sunshine with a flirty floral mini dress. See the pictures here...

  • "Thousands Of People Were Stranded": People Are Sharing Their Absolute Worst Travel Nightmare Stories

    "The hotel general manager was cornered by guests to try and find out what was happening. He literally put his hand in my husband's face and said, ‘I don’t have to tell you s**t,’ and walked away."

  • Japan's Mt. Fuji begins charging admission

    STORY: Japan’s Mt Fuji, an icon of the country and its tallest peak, is now for ticket holders only.This new gate at the trailhead opened for the first time at 3 a.m. Monday.It’s a reaction to what local authorities say is a recent surge of inbound tourists from overseas that, they say, has led to both harm to Fuji's environment and an uptick in the number of under-prepared climbers in need of rescue.Now if you want to journey up the mountain, you'll need to pay a 2,000 yen fee, about 12 dollars.That nets you a wristband granting access between 3 in the morning and 4 pm. But, once 4,000 people pass through the gate, entry is restricted.Japanese hikers on Monday were supportive of the move."I think Mount Fuji will be very happy if everyone is more conscious about the environment and things like taking garbage home with them.""I think having a system where you reserve in advance is good. I think it'd get dangerous if there were too many people."Authorities say there are exceptions to the limit: those with reservations for mountain huts closer to Fuji's peak, where people often rest if they split the hike over two days, will be able to pass outside those hours.In explaining the fees, Yamanashi prefecture governor Kotaro Nagasaki told reporters last month the country should focus on attracting "higher spending visitors" over sheer masses of people.Japan has seen a record pace of inbound tourism.This last May saw a surge in arrivals, some 60% up from the year before, and nearly 10% higher than May 2019.The country’s currency is the weakest its been in decades, enticing visitors pent-up from years of lockdowns and eager to get more for their money.But the surge has raised worries of over-tourism at hot spots around Japan.In June, the mayor of Himeji, home to an iconic castle, floated the idea of charging foreigners a fee three times higher than the standard 1,000 yen rate to enter the site.:: May, 2024And this week isn’t even the first measure taken tied to Mt. Fuji.In May, officials set up an 8-foot-high barrier to block sight of the mountain behind a Lawson convenience store, which had gone viral for views of it set against Fuji as a backdrop.Locals complained that the visitors refused to obey rules on littering and parking.

  • Flight cancellations soar as peak season begins. What, if anything, should we do?

    The Man Who Pays His Way: We need to talk about summer

  • Take a peek inside this beautifully renovated 18th-century barn in the Cotswolds

    Take a peek inside this beautifully renovated 18th-century barn in the Cotswolds, designed by artist and creative director Kelly Jackson.

  • Grandparents quit their jobs and sell their home to backpack round the world

    Tina Waddle, 58, and her husband, Kevin, 65, decided to pack in their careers and sell their house to travel round the world.

  • Scotland's best whale, porpoise and dolphin watching spots to see this summer

    From Chanonry Point near the NC500 to Irvine Beach, here are the best whale, dolphin and porpoise-watching spots in Scotland.

  • These are 5 of the oldest pubs in London you can still enjoy a pint in

    Looking for a pub in London? Try out of the five oldest pubs that are still open today ready to serve you a pint.

  • Glasgow's 7 prettiest and coolest streets well worth a stroll down

    From Victoria Road in the Southside to Ashton Lane tucked away in the West End, here are 7 of the coolest and prettiest streets to go and visit in Glasgow.

  • The best-kept secret in British camping

    Ask any campervan or motorhome owner what attracts them to this particular choice of holiday and the word “freedom” will likely crop up. Freedom to roam, to up sticks at the drop of a hat and find a new place to rest – epitomising the “home is where you park it” mantra. But when it comes to where you station your van for the night, there are various options to choose from. Some like a campsite with a dedicated pitch. Others prefer to find a secluded spot to bunk down – not having to pay, or answ

  • Local establishment becomes Greene King's fifth-ever 'drinks-first' pub

    The Red Lion has announced it is becoming a 'nest pub' - a drink-first pub - following a £375,000 transformation.

  • The 2025 holidays to book now

    The best 2025 holidays to book in advance.

  • How a little-known German city became home to one of the world’s most exciting railway rides

    A hanging train puts this little-known German city on the map.

  • What it’s like to be the only tourist in Moldova, Europe’s least visited country

    Whenever I think of Moldova (which is not often, to be honest), I am reminded of a message sent by a photographer friend, when he came here a couple of years ago: “Less than a minute after crossing into Moldova I witnessed three horses-and-carts, and a goat on a string. My mobile informed me I was in a ‘Zone D’ worldwide destination, it felt like Zone Z.”

  • I returned to the Devon holiday cottage of my childhood to feel close to my departed dad

    Family holidays as a child were often to far-flung spots, thanks to my dad’s job as cabin crew for British Airways. We were lucky enough to stay in a fancy hotel near Sydney Harbour, explore the high-rise mecca of Hong Kong and play on the beach in Barbados. But it was a little upside-down cottage in Tuckenhay, Devon, that we stayed in as a family – my mum, dad, older brother Nicholas and me – in the early 1980s, that has long been imprinted in my memory. And, since losing my beloved dad in Nove

  • Voices: Stanley Johnson: It’s true I caused a BA flight to be cancelled – here’s why I’m glad I did it

    COMMENT: I’m no troublemaker – if I try my hand at making scrambled eggs for breakfast and they end up sticking to the saucepan, I own up on the spot. But on this occasion, I did the right thing, writes a defiant Stanley Johnson