THE Enniskillen town centre boardwalk recently reopened to the public again following a lengthy refurbishment delay.

The boardwalk had been due to reopen in Summer, 2019, but the reopening was extensively delayed after safety concerns were raised.

Speaking in advance of the reopening, a spokesperson for the Council said: "The main project works were completed some time ago.

"The reopening of the boardwalk had been delayed due to the identification of an unsafe boundary wall adjacent to a section of the boardwalk. The wall has now been made safe and the refurbished boardwalk will reopen to the public [imminently]."

The boardwalk works included the replacement and upgrading of the existing timber boardwalk beneath Inis Ceithleann and the east bridges in Enniskillen to form a part of the proposed national Blueways Trail Project.

The Blueways Trails are a network ostunning trails running on and alongside some of the most idyllic lakes, canals and rivers on the island of Ireland.

Further delaying its reopening, the boardwalk – which was initially closed for refurbishment in Spring, 2019 – faced further difficulties in October as it found itself under water.

The Impartial Reporter queried how much it would cost to "flood-proof" this new walk.

In response, a Council spokesperson said: "Given its riverside location, the boardwalk was designed and constructed with specific materials to reduce maintenance requirements and provide an improved slip-resistant surface.

"This was an important consideration, as the boardwalk's surface will be prone to unavoidable flooding as a consequence of setting the level of the boardwalk to ensure adequate head height clearance while walking underneath the bridges."

The Council spokesperson confirmed the funding source and total cost of the project, adding: "The project was jointly funded by Fermanagh and Omagh District Council and Waterways Ireland, and cost approximately £200,000."