Irish greenway updates: South East Greenway sections open early, upgrades for other routes

Irish greenway updates: Chef Neven Maguire this week set off on a six-part TV series, Neven’s Greenway Food Trails, on Wednesday at 8:30pm on RTÉ One. He started on the Great Western Greenway and will explore the cycling and food along five more routes in the coming weeks.

Parts of the 24km New Ross to Waterford Greenway is to open this year — the New Ross Standard newspaper reports that the route will open by late March between the New Ross town/Rosbercon and Glenmore, about 8km away along the former railway.

IMAGE: Neven Maguire cycling.

The Kilkenny People newspaper reports on the same greenway, which has the official name of the ‘South East Greenway’ and includes a large section in Co Kilkenny between Waterford City and New Ross town in Wexford. Kilkenny County Council confirms that a section of about 5km between Ferrybank in Waterford and Luffany in Co Kilkenny is also expected to open ahead of the full route.

The New Ross Standard also reported in September that the full greenway is delayed due to complications. Wexford County Council official Fintan Ryan told councillors that TII is now overseeing the project, and “they require more gateways, which meant a review of the project.”

There will be a longer wait for the first section of the South Kerry Greenway to be open, which is expected to be in use in 2024, according to Kerry County Council via agriland.ie. In February 2022, the Supreme Court rejected two legal challenges against the use of CPOs for the route. The council said that in early 2023 it will prepare a planning application for the sections of the project omitted by An Bord Pleanála.

A link from Rathmullen Road in Drogheda to the Boyne Greenway is delayed due to the need for an environmental study, according to the Drogheda Independent. Meath County Council has started the procurement process for the additional impact assessment which is to include studies on botanical, bat and breeding birds. The additional information is expected to be submitted to An Bord Pleanala by September 25, 2023.

Mayo County Council is asking the public for their views on options for providing a Great Western Greenway route in Newport village. Currently users of the greenway mix with heavy traffic in the village. The former railway bridge was not originally used for the greenway as tunnels linking to it are in private ownership — that route is now one of the options in the public consultation which is open until Wednesday, January 11.

IMAGE: Options for the Greenway in Newport.

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