Michelle Gildernew, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, has officially re-opened the Ballyronan Marina on the shores of Lough Neagh.

Over £500,000 has been invested in renovating and refurbishing the Marina which is owned by Cookstown District Council.

The marina has been extended to provide an additional 36 berths, bringing the total number of berths to 72, re-decoration of the caravan park, as well as providing a new additional play area for the large number of visitors to the Marina.

The project was jointly funded by Cookstown District Council and by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) under the European Union Programme for Building Sustainable Prosperity, which contributed £249,046 through the Lough Neagh Strategic Fund.

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At the official opening the Minister highlighted the important role of the marina, and other similar marinas, in attracting people to visit Lough Neagh from the experienced boating fraternity to the casual day-tripper.

The Minister said: “The refurbished marina and associated improvements will not only encourage more people to visit Ballyronan and the western shore of Lough Neagh but will also encourage people to visit the wider Lough Neagh area and to appreciate the lough and its natural beauty.”

Chairman of Cookstown District Council, Ian McCrea, revealed that all but one of the new berths had been booked already and predicted a bright future for the marina: “By offering tourists high quality facilities such as this, we aim to increase visitor numbers which will also bring economic benefits to Ballyronan. This marina and caravan park will undoubtedly play a major role in the improved tourism potential of Lough Neagh in the years ahead.”

Jim Canning, Lough Neagh Partnership Chairperson, added: “This development is a significant contribution to the enhancement of Lough Neagh. It now provides a state of the art boating and recreational facility that reflects the positive changes that are happening on the lough.”

(LC/SP)