Irish greenways
Ireland's greenwaysare off-road routes for walkers, cyclists and other non-motorised transport in Ireland, which are often created asrail trailson abandoned sections of theIrish rail network.In theRepublic of Ireland,several greenway initiatives have been centrally funded by theIrish government.[1]InNorthern Ireland,greenwaysare typically part of the collective BritishNational Cycle Network(NCN).[2]
Examples
[edit]There are a number of greenways (including severalrail trails) in Ireland. Notable examples include the:
- Boyne Greenway(1.9 kilometres (1.2 mi))[3]
- Carlingford LoughGreenway (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
[edit]Ireland
[edit]A 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, theTralee-Fenit Greenwaywas partially completed as of 2021.[14]Some sections of theDublin-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 theAthlone to Mullingar Cycleway,[17]some sections of which opened in 2015.[18]andCork Greenway.Progress on the proposedSouth Kerry Greenwaywas subject to planning challenges and decisions as of late 2021.[19][20]
Northern Ireland
[edit]In 2016,Derry City and Strabane District Councilin partnership withDonegal County Council,Sustrans Northern Ireland and theDepartment 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 theSpecial 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.Retrieved1 January2015.
- ^"Boyne Greenway".drogheda.ie.Retrieved20 January2022.
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.Retrieved1 January2015– viaIndependent.ie.
- ^"The Carlingford Lough Greenway - Phase 1 Completed".newrymournedown.org.Newry, Mourne and Down District Council.Retrieved29 May2020.
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.Retrieved28 December2014.
- ^"Grand Canal Way".IrishTrails.Irish Sports Council.Archivedfrom the original on 7 April 2012.Retrieved8 August2011.
- ^O'Brien, Tim."Former west Limerick railway line reopens as 40km greenway".The Irish Times.
- ^"Trail Map".Great Western Greenway.Retrieved1 August2011.
Mayo's Great Western Greenway is a 44km off-road route
- ^"Greenways - Royal Canal Greenway".WaterwaysIreland.org.Retrieved20 January2022.
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.Retrieved28 December2014.
- ^Brouder, Simon (3 February 2021)."Concerns over fencing along Greenway".The Kerryman.Retrieved4 July2021– viaIndependent.ie.
- ^"Galway to Dublin Greenway".Galway City Council.Retrieved28 December2014.
- ^"Latest section of Dublin-Galway coast-to-coast Greenway opens - Varadkar".DTTAS.ie.27 June 2014.Retrieved6 August2014.
- ^"Athlone to Mulligar Greenway".GalwayCity.ie.Retrieved28 December2014.
- ^"Taoiseach to perform official opening of Mullingar to Garrycastle cycleway".Shannonside FM.11 September 2015. Archived fromthe originalon 5 October 2015.Retrieved5 October2015.
- ^"High Court ruling brings South Kerry Greenway one step closer".RadioKerry.ie.Retrieved16 October2021.
- ^Kelleher, Sinead (23 December 2021)."€2m for South Kerry Greenway as Supreme Court decision is awaited".The Kerryman.Independent.ie.Retrieved19 January2022.
- ^"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.Retrieved20 July2021.
- ^"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.Retrieved20 January2022.
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.Retrieved20 January2022.
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]
External links
[edit]- European Greenway Association and Greenways Inc(archived)
- Website about the Deise greenway
- Tralee Fenit Greenway
- Existing Cycling Facilities Maps (2013) National Transport Authority of Ireland
- Proposed strategic greenways in Greater Dublin (2013) irishcycle.com
