Members of the Foyle Paddlers on the River Foyle.
Derry City Council has come under fire for evicting a local canoe club from its River Foyle base, despite its members providing over 500 voluntary hours during next week’s Council-run LegenDerry Maritime Festival.
The future of Foyle Paddlers, whose members will give free kayak taster sessions to members of the public during the festival, is in doubt after being told by Council to vacate the ground floor of Prehen Boathouse by Wednesday next – during the week-long event.
An official notice from the Council’s solicitor states “any equipment that remains in the secured part of the premises after this time will be assumed waste material and will be disposed of by council accordingly.”
The club – the largest canoe club in Ireland – will be able to have use of part of the basement of the building on the condition that it will be for storage purposes only.
The club has been in existence for over 30 years and has been based at the Boathouse for many of those.
Club members have been left “shocked” by the move which comes as they make final preparations for the Maritime Festival programme.
A club spokesperson said the loss of the lower ground floor would result in the club no longer having any indoor training facilities, nowhere to hold briefings or meetings, no changing facilities and no storage for approximately 50% of its fleet of boats.
The boats in question are used, primarily, for competition purposes and by children and disabled groups.
The spokesperson said the move would have a “devastating blow” for the club.
The spokesperson added: “It will have severe implications for the ability of the club to provide courses and services to the wider community, canoeing and kayaking as a sport and also affect a large number of people who regularly benefit by keeping fit through the medium of our club and the River Foyle.
The spokesperson claimed Derry City Council have failed to offer any “alternative support mechanism” for the provision of the club’s needs when the eviction takes place.
The spokesperson added: “It is ironic that Council should choose to instigate this course of action in the middle of the Foyle Maritime Festival.”
“During our tenancy we have striven to maintain and secure a building that had been neglected by council and left to rot.”
The spokesperson concluded: “We deserve the support of Derry City Council to keep alive the sterling services that the club has provided throughout its history.
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