A roundup of greenway news across Ireland:
South Kerry Greenway — Glenbeigh to Renard
Kerryman reports that Kerry County Council hope to finalise South Kerry Greenway route selection report of the 32-kilometre route “in the next week or two”, after another delay with the project. The route is noteworthy as the greenway project includes acquiring land by compulsory purchase order — a process which has been opposed by farm’s groups.
Great Southern Greenway in Limerick
Radio Kerry reports that upgrading works have begun on the Great Southern Greenway in Limerick to make 20 farm crossing gates along the 39 kilometre route more suitable for cycling, as they were originally designed to cater more for walkers than cyclists.
The route runs from Rathkeale to the Kerry border near Abbeyfeale and currently stops at a dead end at the county boarder. Radio Kerry states that “Kerry County Council is currently looking at the potential of extending the Great Southern Greenway to Listowel and hopefully onto Tralee in the future.”
Limerick to host European Greenways Award 2017
Limerick City and County Council are to host 8th European Greenways Award 2017 this September. Welcoming my that news, but frustrated the above mentioned dead end at the Kerry border and at the lack of progress generally with greenways in Kerry, the Kerry Cycling Campaign posted the above image to Twitter, saying: “Great to hear that the European Greenways Awards are to be held in Limerick this year, but sad that this is what visitors will see of #Kerry”.
Waterford to New Ross Greenway
The New Ross Standard reports that planning is being advanced for the 24km Waterford to New Ross route and that Kilkenny County Council is opening a “regional greenway office” manned by up to three people to progress the project. But the council thinks that major funding will not be in place until after the national greenway strategy is finalised.
The office is expected to be staffed by Wexford and Kilkenny council staff. The paper reports that the “plan is to have a greenway from Dungarvan to Dublin, from where a greenway will stretch to the west coast. He said funding of €100m is planned to be allocated to this.”
Tralee to Fenit Greenway
Radio Kerry also reports that Kerry County Council are expected to undertake assessments on the Tralee Fenit rail line by the end of June. These reports will determine if Environmental Impact and Natura Impact assessments are needed, and whether the planning application will have to go to An Bord Pleanala.
The council said that in the last 12 months it as worked securing the legal agreement with CIE on the transfer of the land on the former rail line, and it’s their objective is to progress the scheme this year.
Waterford greenway gets nauseating
Satire website WaterfordWhispersNews.com has pushed the now famous Waterford Greenway even further into our cultural mindset with their story titled: Warning As Nauseating Family Pictures At The Waterford Greenway Expected Today.
National greenway strategy
As we reported recently, public consultation on the Strategy for the Future Development of Greenways is now on-going. Details are published in a paper at smartertravel.ie. Submissions can be made electronically to greenways@dttas.ie or by post to: Sustainable Transport Division, Department of Transport, Tourism & Sport, Leeson LanE, D02 TR60. The closing date for submissions is Friday July 14.
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The New Ross to Waterford greenway would be excellent for attracting people hoping to cycle from Dublin to the Greenway in Waterford. So although the section between New Ross & Waterford is mainly in Kilkenny, the project would have knock-on benefits for Waterford, Carlow & Kildare. Kilkenny Co Co should try to engage these counties for support.
Interesting article here voicing some not entirely unreasonable objections to the Royal Canal Greenway based on it’s presumed impact on one of the few remaining sanctuaries for certain butterfly species:
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/a-butterfly-s-view-of-the-royal-canal-1.3094620
The problem of course is that the canal banks should not be the last refuge of wildlife that has been obliterated elsewhere by farming practices that do not set aside land for nature, do not allow for natural regeneration and involve excessive pesticide use. The result is that what little that is left is to be fought over by various well-intentioned interest groups. Farming is the Elephant in the room in many respects when it comes to environmental degradation, as well as blocking progressive projects like greenways as is the case in Kerry and West of the Shannon.
@aka
As you say, the butterflies are important, but again as you also say, agriculture is responsible in the reduction of a lot of wildlife through modern practices. The wildlife tin-can essentially gets kicked down the road and lands at the feet of refuges like the canal banks which are out of harms way from agriculture.
Surely mitigation steps, keeping in mind the sensitive nature of some spots, could be taken in any upgrade to the Royal canal.
It shouldn’t be a choice between bicycles and biodiversity. Extra width should be added to the towpath to allocate for butterflies as well as bikes.