Political pitstops, Pontoon and a potential boost to the Mayo economy
by Caoimhín Rowland
Nestled in the heart of Mayo, Pontoon is a place of paradoxes, where tranquil natural beauty meets the tumultuous world of local politics.
Pontoon's brief moments in the political limelight primarily revolve around one burning question: Which party's candidate will have the privilege of placing their campaign posters along one of the county's busiest and most central routes?
In the 2020 elections, the battle for poster placement and the rustling of cable ties brought to the forefront a rivalry in the annals of both Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael.
Political apparatchiks were presented with a quandary, does Lisa Chambers have Pontoon?
Let’s get her face up there, or does it belong to Dara Calleary? A well-established representative in and around Foxford.
For Fine Gael there were anxieties too, Michelle Mulherin, the party candidate for Ballina and north Mayo would see herself as a representative of the area back then, but newcomer to the scene and living not too far from Pontoon was Alan Dillon - and passers-by would surely need to see the new kid on the block.
Alas, like clockwork, once the ballots were counted, quotas met, and cable ties cut, Pontoon was once again handed back to nature, cast aside from political trysts.
It's a region nestled between three electoral areas, Castlebar, Ballina, and Swinford-Claremorris, which, controversially to some, encompasses Foxford.
As one current TD once bluntly put it: "There are few votes in Lough Conn and fewer again atop Nephin."
It seems that despite its breath-taking beauty, the political will to harness its potential for the local economy is conspicuously absent.
Cathaoirleach Michael Loftus has been a tireless advocate for utilising Lough Conn as an amenity for his local area of Crossmolina.
He has long championed the idea of creating a water park at Gortnor Abbey, but this vision was marred by concerns related to insurance and investment.
A similar proposal in 2014 for a Blueway on the lake also failed to gain the necessary traction.
The Blueway plan aimed to focus on the lake as a water sports attraction, connecting inland communities like Knockmore, Pontoon, Lahardane and Crossmolina through activities such as kayaking, canoeing, and paddleboarding.
However, a disheartening pattern emerges when speaking with local councillors about their development plans for the area.
Former cathaoirleach Seamus Weir, a local to the area, has ardently supported the idea of a greenway from Knockmore to Pontoon.
But, he lamented: "The National Parks and Wildlife Service told me they would object to any proposal along the lake." This places any amenity dead in the water before it even gets off the ground.
Weir firmly believes in the greenway's potential, asserting that "there are several potential routes, the disruption would be minimal, and it would connect where the populations are."
One of these plans envisions linking Ballina with Castlebar via Pontoon and the existing Turlough greenway, a central route that would provide access to Mount Falcon and the hotels in Pontoon, diversifying tourist destinations beyond the more well-known west Mayo hotspots.
Yet, at the heart of these challenges lies a crucial issue, the lack of political representation and, consequently, the support needed to drive these projects forward.
A greenway from Knockmore to Pontoon could unlock a significant tourism opportunity for Mayo, with further expansion plans to Foxford, positioning the county as a primary destination for active travel and transport.
Interestingly, Des Connelly, the man behind the Pontoon Bridge Hotel project, expressed his frustration at the lack of progress on the route, emphasising that the greenway was essential to their investment plans.
He wondered aloud: "I can't understand why that project hasn't gotten off the ground," highlighting its critical role in their scheduled renovation in 2024.
Similar infrastructure projects facing quandaries arising from electoral boundaries include the N26 road upgrade, a much-needed improvement for a route that witnesses heavy traffic daily but remains on the backburner, awaiting action.
Loftus's ambitions to improve Gortnor Abbey harbour have also faced setbacks. Built half a century ago, the harbour has never undergone proper cleaning.
It descends to a depth of 12 feet, containing dangerous debris and silt that poses a threat to swimmers and divers. The story echoes a common theme of bureaucratic buck-passing, with various government departments seemingly unwilling to cooperate effectively.
“I knew a man who wanted to create kayak tours along Lough Conn was discouraged by the Department of Agriculture from exploring any of the islands in the lake,” Fianna Fail Councillor Loftus told me.
Similarly, Seamus Weir's efforts to advance his greenway proposal have been hampered by parks and wildlife objections, and there are additional concerns from inland fisheries.
As local councillors prepare to return for their final innings before the next year's local elections, it remains to be seen whether Pontoon will witness any significant public investment.
The challenges are clear, political representation, bureaucratic obstacles, and a lack of coordinated support have stymied the region's growth potential.
In the end, the fate of Pontoon and its untapped beauty and economic opportunities may well depend on whose faces you seen on signposts next Spring.