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FG promise €100m for Wild Atlantic Way, Blueways & Greenways

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The current minister of Transport and Tourism, Paschal Donohoe, y esterday promised 100m for the Wild Atlantic way, Blueway and Greenway projects.  The minister was announcing plans for the tourism sector that is hoped will boost revenues from overseas tourists by €5 billion and will make a significant contribution to regional job creation. The minister says that "we will target increased investment; in areas such new facilities for walking, cycling (greenways) and water based (blueways) activities to take the Wild Atlantic Way to the next level". Fine Gael say that with the right vision, plan and investment a nationwide network of connected Greenways can become a global tourist attraction. The announcement from Fine Gael comes just after the Taoiseach confirmed funding for Royal Canal walk and cycleway through Longford. According to Shannonside News , the Tourism Minister Paschal Donohue described the shovel-ready Royal Canal cycle and greenway project in the c

Greenway campaign welcomes cross party and independent’s support for Collooney to Athenry Greenway

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The Western Rail Trail Campaign, the campaign group seeking to protect the alignment of the non operational railway line from Collooney in County Sligo to Athenry in county Galway by placing a greenway on the route until such time as a railway is possible, has welcomed  the support of almost every candidate in Sligo Leitrim South Donegal and West Cavan. Brendan Quinn of the Western Rail Trail campaign said this: “We contacted all candidates at the start of the campaign by email and asked a simple question : “Do you support current policy as declared by the Department of Transport Tourism and Sport to use the asset of the closed railway from Collooney to Athenry as a greenway now to create a local amenity for communities along the route, to create more tourism related  jobs in the West of Ireland, and to protect the route from loss to the State”  We also gave candidates an option to disagree with the statement  or to say they did not want their opinions known.  We have been delig

January 2016 Greenway Update

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It has been a relatively quiet month on the Dublin Galway Greenway project. As the controversy  over the East Galway route quietens down, focus has shifted to the Kildare and Meath section of the greenway. We can only suspect that the project planners are taking stock after the bruising they received from the landowners in Galway and are now taking some time out to consider the best way forward for the western section of the greenway. But while the Dublin Galway greenway takes a breather, supporters of national greenway projects were heartened by the following news updates: Reconciliation Hopes in Sligo Mayo Greenway The West On Track and the Sligo Greenway groups took some steps towards a reconciliation over the past month. These two groups have been in very different camps about the potential use of the Sligo to Claremorris disused railway. After the Minister for Transport Paschal Donohue stated that the actual rail tracks have no value in any future operational ra

Leitrims Greenway plans could link with the Dublin Galway Greenway

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According to reports from the Shannonside newsroom , Leitrim county council is seeking funds to develop two new greenway routes that could link with the Dublin Galway Greenway. CEO of Leitrim County Council Frank Curran says the council will apply for seven million euro to construct a cycling track between Manorhamilton to Enniskillen in County Fermanagh along the disused railway track. The council will also look to progress a greenway between Dromod in South Leitrim that will connect to Belturbet in County Cavan. These ambitious projects will help build Leitrim's growing reputation as a outdoor activity destination and fits alongside projects such as the successful Shannon Blueway canoe and walking trails. The success of the Mayo greenway has encouraged more councils to look to build greenways in their own county and when joined together and promoted internationally could attract millions of tourists to parts of Ireland that have traditional been bypassed by tourists. Pla

Minister reiterates government commitment to the Dublin Galway Greenway

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The Minister for Transport, Pascal O'Donohue, has reiterated the governments commitment to completing the Dublin Galway greenway.  Speaking to the Shannonside newsroom , Minister O'Donohue said that he recognises that there was disappointment in Roscommon, where there was major landowner support, when funding was reallocated to the Kildare and Meath sections. But the minister says that getting full support for the landowners along the route is very important and that the government will continue to seek consensus over the coming years. In October it was announced that funding which had been in place for the final part of the Dublin to Galway cycleway was being diverted to Kildare and Meath, because of difficulties with landowners. From west of the Shannon, the cycleway passes through private farmland, and local farmers are concerned about the potential impacts in terms of loss of land, disruption of farming operations, and security issues. An IFA backed campaig

Kildare County Council open up Public Consultation on Royal Canal Cycleway to Dublin Border

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Kildare County Council have opened a public consultation on their plans for the Royal Canal Greenway Maynooth to Dublin County Boundary. This section will form part of the Dublin Galway Greenway. Planning is already in place for the western section between Maynooth and the Meath border and work is due to start next year. Kildare County Council proposes to construct a 8.4km pedestrian and cycle greenway facility along the Royal Canal towpath from the Canal Harbour, Maynooth to the Kildare/Dublin County border in Allenswood. The proposed development will provide a 3m wide cycleway and shared footway (greenway) for pedestrian and cyclist use with the provision of access controls (pedestrian/cycle friendly gates), road markings and associated signage at various locations over the length of the proposed greenway. A number of bridges along the route will be sensitively considered in the development. Submissions or observations with respect to the proposed development can be made t

Dispute over proposed Galway to Oughterard Greenway shows need to keep old train lines in public ownership

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Landowners in parts of Connemara, Moycullen, Rosscahill and Oughterard have raised their concerns over the proposed Galway to Oughterard Greenway Route saying that there has been almost no discussion process in connection to the proposed cycleway. The greenway, if built, would permit cyclists to cycle along a devoted cycling way from Galway City to Oughterard, something that local people welcome but are concerned as they say most of it is being directed through private property. Some portion of the greenway would run along a section of old railroad line and landowners said this is currently private property which they legitimately own. The much of the route was formerly the Galway Clifden railway lane which is closed since 1935 and was bought back by the landowners. This demonstrates the need for the state to protect other public rights of ways for future uses rather than letting encroachments into these lands. According to the Galway Independent farmers along the route say 

RTE's Ear to the Ground to examine both sides of the Dublin Galway Greenway debate

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Tonight's RTE's Ear to the Ground programme will examine both sides of the Dublin Galway Greenway debate. The shows presenters Helen Carroll, Darragh McCullough and Ella McSweeney will talk to farmers and others about the Dublin Galway greenway. In October, funding for the Galway/Roscommon section of the Dublin Galway greenway was diverted to the Kildare and Meath sections of the international standard cycleway. The Kildare and Meath sections already have planning permission in place and are broadly supported by the local communities. Completing the section of cycleway in Kildare and Meath will connect the recently developed cycleways in Westmeath and Longford to the capital and is expected to bring a boom in tourism to the midlands region over the coming years. Already local communities are seeing the benefits of these cycleways and are using them in their droves. There are now calls from local communities in Roscommon for the Minister to reconsider his decision to pau

New extension to the Royal Canal Greenway welcomed by Abbeyshrule Tidy Towns

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A fundraiser organised by the Abbeyshrule Tidy Towns on Sunday 22nd November, 2015 was an ideal opportunity to celebrate the opening of the latest extension of the Royal Canal Greenway. The event was the first opportunity to appropriately baptise the route since it was fully completed into Abbeyshrule the week before. Longford County Council funded this extension and the works were carried out by Waterways Ireland. The event was a fundraiser for the Abbeyshrule Tidy Town Group who do great work in the village and are a former National Winner and Entente Florale winner in 2012. The group of about 40 cyclists met at 11 am Sunday morning and headed east to Ballincarrigy and returned. People came from Westmeath and Galway to participate. Everyone was on a high from the cycle. The cyclist finished up in the Rustic Inn, Abbeyshrule for soup and a roll. It is hoped that this will be an annual event from now on. Donall Mac An Bheatha from Longford County Council said the event

Minister is supportive of Longford Council's Royal Canal Greenway plans

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Minister Pascal O'Donohue appears to be impressed with Longford Councils forward planning for the extension of the Royal Canal Greenway to Abbeyshrule. In response to a Dail question from Robert Troy, Fianna Fáil TD for Longford/Westmeath, on Blueway and Greenway plans in the county of Longford, the Minister stated that while funding is fully allocated until 2016, Longford is well placed to secure future funding based on their forward planning. The minister said "All Department funding for the delivery of greenways is fully committed up until 2016.  However, the development of a greenway along the Royal Canal from Abbeyshrule to Ballymahon is among those projects to which my Department will give serious consideration in the event of additional funding becoming available. Any funding award would include provision for the installation of signage and direction markers to highlight the existence of and assist users of the greenway. Officials from my Department along with