Ireland's greenways are off-road routes for walkers, cyclists and other non-motorised transport in Ireland, which are often created as rail trails on abandoned sections of the Irish rail network. In the Republic of Ireland, several greenway initiatives have been centrally funded by the Irish government.[1] In Northern Ireland, greenways are typically part of the collective British National Cycle Network (NCN).[2]
Examples
editThere are a number of greenways (including several rail trails) in Ireland. Notable examples include the:
- Boyne Greenway (1.9 kilometres (1.2 mi))[3]
- Carlingford Lough Greenway (Carlingford to Omeath, 6.2 kilometres (3.9 mi)).[4][5]
- Grand Canal Cycleway (118 kilometres (73 mi))[6] [7]
- Great Southern Trail, comprising the Limerick Greenway and North Kerry Greenway, was 40 kilometres (25 mi) long as of 2021[8]
- Great Western Greenway (44 kilometres (27 mi))[9]
- Royal Canal Greenway (130 kilometres (81 mi))[10]
- Waterford Greenway (46 kilometres (29 mi), which opened in March 2017[11]
Under construction
editIreland
editA number of greenways have been proposed to be built (or are under construction or partially opened) in the Republic of Ireland. For example, in 2018, a 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) section (from Athry to Cloonbeg) of the proposed 76 kilometres (47 mi) Connemara Greenway was opened.[12][13] In County Kerry, the Tralee-Fenit Greenway was partially completed as of 2021.[14] Some sections of the Dublin-Galway Greenway, proposed ultimately to be a 276 kilometres (171 mi) 'coast-to-coast' greenway and rail trail, have been partially opened.[15][16]
Other examples include the Athlone to Mullingar Cycleway,[17] some sections of which opened in 2015.[18] and Cork Greenway. Progress on the proposed South Kerry Greenway was subject to planning challenges and decisions as of late 2021.[19][20]
Northern Ireland
editIn 2016, Derry City and Strabane District Council in partnership with Donegal County Council, Sustrans Northern Ireland and the Department for Infrastructure (Northern Ireland) secured funding to construct 46.5 km of greenway and segregated cycling routes linking Derry in Northern Ireland to Muff and Buncrana in County Donegal.[21] The project team was established in 2017,[22] and the plan was to complete construction works by 2021.[needs update] The project, funded by INTERREG VA and administered by the Special European Union Programmes Body, was titled the 'North West Greenway Network'.[citation needed] As of late 2021, work on some sections of the North West Greenway Network had reputedly begun,[23] while other sections of the proposed cycleway have reportedly met with planning objections and land use issues.[24]
References
edit- ^ "Press Release - Funding of €63.5m for Greenways in 2021 confirmed by Ministers Ryan and Naughton". gov.ie. 9 November 2020.
- ^ "National Cycling Network - The Argus". Cyclist.ie. 20 August 2010. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
- ^ "Boyne Greenway". drogheda.ie. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
The 1.9km long Boyne Greenway brings you from St. Dominic's Park [..] Drogheda [..] to the site of the Battle of the Boyne Visitor Centre at Oldbridge
- ^ "Carlingford - Omeath Greenway Greenway". The Argus. 18 June 2014. Retrieved 1 January 2015 – via Independent.ie.
- ^ "The Carlingford Lough Greenway - Phase 1 Completed". newrymournedown.org. Newry, Mourne and Down District Council. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
Louth County Council has already constructed 6.2km of Greenway from Omeath to Carlingford Marina and this [..] opened in 2014
- ^ "Cycling the Grand Canal". Waterways Ireland. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
- ^ "Grand Canal Way". IrishTrails. Irish Sports Council. Archived from the original on 7 April 2012. Retrieved 8 August 2011.
- ^ O'Brien, Tim. "Former west Limerick railway line reopens as 40km greenway". The Irish Times.
- ^ "Trail Map". Great Western Greenway. Retrieved 1 August 2011.
Mayo's Great Western Greenway is a 44km off-road route
- ^ "Greenways - Royal Canal Greenway". WaterwaysIreland.org. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
Royal Canal Greenway is 130km of level towpath, ideal for walkers, runners and cyclists
- ^ "Ireland's longest greenway opens in Waterford". RTE.ie. RTÉ News. 25 March 2017.
- ^ "6km section of Connemara greenway opens to cyclists". irishtimes.com. Irish Times. 28 May 2018.
- ^ "Connemara Greenway". Department for Transport, Ireland. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
- ^ Brouder, Simon (3 February 2021). "Concerns over fencing along Greenway". The Kerryman. Retrieved 4 July 2021 – via Independent.ie.
- ^ "Galway to Dublin Greenway". Galway City Council. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
- ^ "Latest section of Dublin-Galway coast-to-coast Greenway opens - Varadkar". DTTAS.ie. 27 June 2014. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
- ^ "Athlone to Mulligar Greenway". GalwayCity.ie. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
- ^ "Taoiseach to perform official opening of Mullingar to Garrycastle cycleway". Shannonside FM. 11 September 2015. Archived from the original on 5 October 2015. Retrieved 5 October 2015.
- ^ "High Court ruling brings South Kerry Greenway one step closer". RadioKerry.ie. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
- ^ Kelleher, Sinead (23 December 2021). "€2m for South Kerry Greenway as Supreme Court decision is awaited". The Kerryman. Independent.ie. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
- ^ "European Union Invests €23 Million In A New 'Green Way' Forward For Cross-Border Travel" (PDF) (Press release). Special EU Programmes Body. 8 December 2016. Retrieved 20 July 2021.
- ^ "Funding offer and new jobs to deliver the NW Greenway project". Donegal News. 2 October 2017.
- ^ "Works begin on first stage of Inishowen greenway". donegaldaily.com. 13 September 2021. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
Works have begun on the first stage of the Inishowen Greenway in Muff [..] The greenway is part of the North West Greenway Network, which also includes a 7.2km route from Lifford to Strabane
- ^ "Donegal Greenway route disagreement". donegallive.ie. 12 December 2021. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
Landowners impacted by the preferred route [..] have forced the project organisers to examine an alternative route [..] North West Greenway Network, which is based within Donegal County Council, met with a number of objections when it was exploring [routes]