Dublin-Galway Greenway
The Dublin-Galway Greenway is a partially completed coast-to-coast 'greenway' and partial rail trail, in the Republic of Ireland, intended to run from the City of Dublin in the east to the City of Galway in the west. It will be the fourth greenway in Ireland, after the Great Southern Trail, the Great Western Greenway and the Waterford Greenway.
Development and concept
The trail is funded by taxpayers' money and envisioned as the western section of 'EuroVelo EV2: The Capitals Route', a conceptual cycle route from Galway, crossing Europe and ending in Moscow in Russia.
The route will be 172 miles long and is planned to be completed by 2020.[1]
Sections
The greenway connects existing pathways, redeveloped railtrails and newly created sections.
Royal Canal Way
- Main article: Royal Canal Way
Sections of the route follow the Royal Canal Way which links Dublin to Longford along the Royal Canal.
Westmeath Way
- Main article: Westmeath Way
The Westmeath way stretches 17½ miles from the Meath-Westmeath border and will meet to the town of Ballinea, south-west of Mullingar.
Mullingar - Athlone
- Main article: Athlone to Mullingar Cycleway
The section from Mullingar to Athlone is a rail-trail over the disused Mullingar-Athlone rail line, (with refurbished former stations in Moate and Castletown Geoghegan). The Moate-Garrycastle section was officially opened in October 2015.[2][3][4]
Planning permission was granted for a new bridge in Athlone across the Shannon was granted in November 2017.[5][6][7]
Plans, by a community development organsisation in Kilbeggan, Westmeath, are underway to connect the Greenway to the Offaly Cycleways at Kilbeggan with a greenway to Tullamore, County Offaly.[8] Work is planned to begin by summer 2016.[8]
Athlone - Galway
Planning is well underway for the Athlone to Galway route. There has been opposition from multiple stakeholders: the Galway Cycling Campaign is objecting to the proposal to place the route near to the N6 national primary road and significant numbers of local landowners have also expressed concern about the preferred route.[9] In October 2015 the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport withdrew funding for the section until local landowners were satisfied. Consultations continue.
Outside links
References
- ↑ 'Galway to Dublin greenway could be finished in five years': IrishCycle.com 27 June 2014
- ↑ "Taoiseach to officially open Greenway this Sunday". 5 October 2015. Archived from the original on 16 October 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20151016134828/http://www.advertiser.ie/athlone/article/80263/taoiseach-to-officially-open-greenway-this-sunday. Retrieved 16 October 2015.
- ↑ Cusack, Adrian (26 August 2015). "Athone to Mullingar Greenway set to open within weeks". IrishCycle.com. http://irishcycle.com/2015/08/26/images-athlone-to-mullingar-greenway-set-to-open-within-weeks/. Retrieved 29 August 2015.
- ↑ "Countdown is on to opening of Athlone to Mullingar cycleway". Westmeath Independent. 18 May 2015. http://www.westmeathindependent.ie/news/roundup/articles/2015/05/18/4037723-countdown-is-on-to-opening-of-athlone-to-mullingar-cycleway/.
- ↑ O'Halloran, Marie (7 November 2017). "Permission granted for new bridge across Shannon in Athlone". Irish Times. https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/permission-granted-for-new-bridge-across-shannon-in-athlone-1.3283609.
- ↑ "€10m More For Cycleways". HospitalityIreland.com. 15 May 2014. http://www.hospitalityireland.com/General-Industry-News/10m-more-for-cycleways.html. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
- ↑ Daly, Maria (9 October 2014). "Council confirm plans for new towncentre bridge as part of cycleway". Athlone Advertiser. http://www.advertiser.ie/athlone/article/72822/council-confirm-plans-for-new-towncentre-bridge-as-part-of-cycleway. Retrieved 9 October 2014.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Kilbeggan track could be 'midlands Greenway’". Westmeath Examiner. 6 February 2015. http://www.westmeathexaminer.ie/news/roundup/articles/2015/02/06/4035508-kilbeggan-track-could-be-midlands-greenway/. Retrieved 13 February 2014.
- ↑ McNamara, Denise (6 September 2015). "Cyclists voice opposition to N6 greenway". Connacht Tribune. http://connachttribune.ie/cyclists-voice-opposition-to-n6-greenway-088/. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
- 'Latest section of Dublin-Galway coast-to-coast Greenway opens (Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, 27 June 2014)
- 'Local councillors had a chance to check on the progress of the Greenway cycleway project as works reached Moate last week': Athlone Advertiser 18 December 2014
- 'Plan unveiled for €10m-plus Royal Canal cycle path': Olivia Kelly in the Irish Times 12 March 2015