The Case for Greenways in the Border Region

clonmahon

If abandoned railways are a valuable resource when opened as Greenways, then the part of the island that has the most potential is the border region, north and south. The border area had its railway system totally closed. If you look at the old Inny Junction to Clones line its about 50 miles long, it could be done for maybe 10 million. If the people up north built a greenway on the abandoned Clones, to Enniskillen, to Beleek line. Another million from us down south would take it onto Ballyshannon and the Atlantic.

It could be called the Great Lakeland Greenway for it goes close to the following major lakes, Owel, Derraravagh, Sheelin, Gowna, Oughter, Upper and Lower Lough Erne, Melvin and Derg.

It would link the North Midlands with South Donegal and the Atlantic, and open up the drumlin region to cycle tourism. It would be over 100 miles long and the Brits could pay for half of it. If the Royal Canal towpath were turned into greenway from North Wall, to Mullingar you could cross the island on greenways with only a short gap between Mullingar and Inny Junction.

There would be the possibility of adding spurs from Clones to Monaghan and onto Armagh, another from Ennikillen to Omagh and Strabane. Another from Enniskillen through the glens of North Leitrim to Colloney in Sligo, then link that with Claremorris in Mayo. This would open up the north western part of the island to cycle tourism and create an epic cycleway.

Every mile of greenway that opens is great, but it we really want to get the cycling tourism world flocking to us we need long distance greenways, across the island, not bit and pieces. Touring cyclists will pour in when the can get on a cycle way at the ferry port in Dublin or Rosslare and cycle all over the island on Greenways, we have the potential to provide this, with canal towpaths and abandoned railways we have the potential to do it at low cost.