Dublin Galway Greenway

Last week the outgoing transport minister Paschal Donohoe outlined the 2016 funding for the Dublin Galway Greenway. The funding was announced as part of a 23.2M funding package by the National Transport Authority for the Greater Dublin Area for 2016. The overall funding includes provision for DublinBikes expansion, and construction or further planning on walking/cycle routes In total, 1.65 million Euro will be made available for Dublin City Council, Fingal County Council and Kildare County Council. This allocation is specifically for the upgrade of the Royal Canal which will form the backbone of the Dublin Galway greenway on the eastern end of the national cycle route. Dublin City Council will receive 900,000 for the Royal Canal greenway which is broken down as follows: Royal Canal Cycle Route (Phase 2) - detailed design North Strand Road to Sherif Street. 500,000 Royal Canal Cycle Route (Phase 3) - detailed design North Strand Road to Phibsborough. 200,000 Royal Canal Cy

Now that planning permission is granted, it is hoped that Longford Forest can be linked to the Royal Canal Greenway. According to planning documents seen by this blog, a new off road cycle link between Newcastle Woods and the Royal Canal Greenway is being considered as part of the development of the Center Parcs holiday park. The decision to grant planning permission, subject to 22 conditions was announced this week. The planning grant included a clause that Center Parcs will have to provide almost €1 million (€951,420) to Longford County Council as a contribution to the upgrading of public infrastructure in the area of the development. Furthermore, details of the planning conditions specifically calls for a off road cycle link to the Royal Canal. This decision to grant permission is welcomed by campaigners for the Royal Canal Greenway and is a vote of confidence in the work carried out by Longford Council so far. Longford Council have developed the Royal Canal Greenway as fa

We would like to congratulate the remaining candidates in the Longford Westmeath constituency and thank all other candidates who declared their support for the completion of the Longford Greenway during the election campaign. Many of remaining candidates responded positively to our pre-election survey of candidates by email which asked a simple question “Do you support current policy as declared by the Department of Transport Tourism and Sport to complete the Royal Canal Greenway in Longford?” We are delighted the completion of the greenway has cross-party support. For example, Robert Troy (FF), told us that he "will work to honor this commitment. The greenway is a fantastic amenity, and connecting them is an excellent idea that will encourage tourism." DublinGalwayGreenway.com wishes all of the remaining candidates the very best of luck we look forward to their continued support going forward.

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

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

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

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

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 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

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