Dungarvan-Waterford 50 years on!

Jamie2k9

Today Waterford-Dungarvan Greenway officially opened, marking 50 years since the last train service between Dungarvan and Waterford.

Spooky tunnels, dramatic viaducts and Copper Coast views are all in store for walkers and cyclists on Ireland's newest greenway.

The Waterford Greenway, a 46km reboot of the Great Southern and Western Railway line, opens today as Ireland's longest off-road walking and cycling experience.

"When the sun is out, there's already been a kind of a Mediterranean feel with bikes lying around and people dallying and soaking up the atmosphere," says Helen O'Mahony, who runs O'Mahony's pub and shop in Durrow with her husband Tom.

The €15 million trail stretches from Waterford City to Dungarvan - with 11 bridges, three viaducts and a 400-metre tunnel dotting a swathe of coastal, forest and farmland landscapes that show An Déise off at its very best.

http://www.independent.ie/life/travel/ireland/green-light-irelands-longest-greenway-opens-in-waterford-35562434.html

Shame it's not a railway today but they have done a fab job.

Okon

Jamie2k9 wrote: »

Today Waterford-Dungarvan Greenway officially opened [...] Shame it's not a railway today but they have done a fab job.

As a Greenway, more people will probably use it. A shame, but there you go.

Jamie2k9

Okon wrote: »

As a Greenway, more people will probably use it. A shame, but there you go.

Between 15,000 and 20,000 per day used it at times last summer.

Del.Monte

Jamie2k9 wrote: »

Between 15,000 and 20,000 per day used it at times last summer.

Link please as that figure seems way off.

Jamie2k9

Del.Monte wrote: »

Link please as that figure seems way off.

Was council figures (verbal), bear in mind it was just opened but it was rammed last summer from morning until evening.

cml387

Jamie2k9 wrote: »

Was council figures (verbal), bear in mind it was just opened but it was rammed last summer from morning until evening.

It was,but mainly the section from Dungarvan to Ballyvoyle tunnel.
Nevertheless it's a fantastic resource.

JCX BXC

Amazing trail, did it was far it as it went last summer (before Kilmacthomas) and the scenery was breathtaking. The Ballyvoyle tunnel and the two viaducts as well as the general scenery make the trial.

I doubt the rest of the trail is as stunning but I'd say it is quite nice as well.

I must pose a question though, in the summer, with all the dry fine weather and tolerable temperatures it does well, but what about in winter with days of cold rainy windy weather?

MacAttackJ

Re Winter, I was on the greenway a few times over the New Year period and it very busy on each instance, esp around the popular tunnel section. So much so that even while running, I had to break my stride several times due to groups; which is completely fine. Tis a fantastic resource.

JCX BXC

The weather was quite good during that period, has anyone here actually used it during a period of poor weather?

cml387

JCX BXC wrote: »

The weather was quite good during that period, has anyone here actually used it during a period of poor weather?

No, there isn't much fun in cycling through wind and rain.
I don't mind winter or summer as long as it's dry and calm.
I've done Kilmac- Dungarvan and back. I'll try Waterford kilmac next.

JCX BXC

cml387 wrote: »

No, there isn't much fun in cycling through wind and rain.

Which is exactly my point.

Anongeneric

People that take running and cycling seriously will still be out on it in bad weather.

It's our climate and if you fancy doing these things you just have to put up with it.

Fair play to all involved in getting the Greenway going.

It'll do great things re tourism for the area, I know it's on my list of places to visit this year.

JCX BXC

Should help repair the damage of losing a hotel on Clonea Strand.

Has anyone done the Kilmacthomas-Waterford section?

Also, does it run beside the railway in Kilmeadan or what's the story there?

I visited the Greenway on two occasions. Was with young kids and was on foot so just did two ahort parts. Would love to return and cycle it when I get time.

I concluded that it will be used by much greater numbers, and with better health benifits, than any CIE or preserved rail operation ever could.

The amount of bike hire and other supporting business is amazing.

I shall no longer bemoan the loss of this line (silently or to those who would listen to me) as it can be enjoyed as much or more in its new form.

Go visit it if you can.

MGWR

Okon wrote: »

As a Greenway, more people will probably use it. A shame, but there you go.

Unlikely. And certainly it'll get no revenue the way a railway would, i.e. if properly run; of course, a greenway generates no revenue.

A greenway's completely useless for transporting freight, and the amount of "footprint" a motorway requires to transport the same amount of freight is exorbitant in cost especially in the long run.

TheBully

MGWR wrote: »

Unlikely. And certainly it'll get no revenue the way a railway would, i.e. if properly run; of course, a greenway generates no revenue.

A greenway's completely useless for transporting freight, and the amount of "footprint" a motorway requires to transport the same amount of freight is exorbitant in cost especially in the long run.

Have you been drinking?

monument

Moved to main C&T forum given discussion is mainly about greenway, not rail.

magicbastarder

MGWR wrote: »

of course, a greenway generates no revenue.

you are, of course, correct in that it generates no direct revenue as it is not tolled. this would explain the ongoing local opposition to the greenway in the locality, and the complaints that it is a financial burden on them.

Harry Palmr

MGWR wrote: »

Unlikely. And certainly it'll get no revenue the way a railway would, i.e. if properly run; of course, a greenway generates no revenue.

Beyond the obvious fact that a railway line between Waterford and Dungarvan could never justify it's costly existence now the Greenway is creating jobs and money for Waterford county as people visit it. And the spread of money is wider than you might think, in the last few weeks I've become aware of cyclists leaving the Greenway at Carriganore then going along the ring road to the Ardkeen end and having a meal and ramble around GrowHQ before heading back.

whisky_galore

I would have preferred a working line but realistic enough to admit that in this country it'll never happen as people would never put the work into rebuilding a 5'3" full size preseved line and Irish Rail wouldn't reopen it in a million years.
Local shops are doing a good trade and bike hire places have sprung up so it's certainly better than a do-nothing option.

By 'preserved line' I mean something like the Severn Valley and not the Waterford -Kilmeaden. Fair enough it seems to be an attraction for the smallies but that's about it. It is in no way an interpretation of what the railway looked like in its heyday.

Isambard

MGWR wrote: »

Unlikely. And certainly it'll get no revenue the way a railway would, i.e. if properly run; of course, a greenway generates no revenue.

A greenway's completely useless for transporting freight, and the amount of "footprint" a motorway requires to transport the same amount of freight is exorbitant in cost especially in the long run.

What Motorway is this? what freight is it whilst we're at it?

there are 4 bike hire places opened in Dungarvan alone...propeer businesses and proper jobs.

end of the road

lets see in a few years how things are before fully judging the actual success of the greenway.
everybody likes something shiny and new, but sometimes the novelty wares off after a while.

Harry Palmr

end of the road wrote: »

lets see in a few years how things are before fully judging the actual success of the greenway.
everybody likes something shiny and new, but sometimes the novelty wares off after a while.

Why the hostility to the Greenway in the first instance? Is it just a case of railway fans day-dreams being shattered or something else?

whisky_galore

end of the road wrote: »

lets see in a few years how things are before fully judging the actual success of the greenway.
everybody likes something shiny and new, but sometimes the novelty wares off after a while.

The Great Southern Trail has been around a while and well used.
Likewise the now extended former Cork Blackrock and Passage cycle/walking trail is well patronised, the original path being in place well before the word Greenway was ever coined, something like 30 or 40 years ago.

tabbey

I looked around Kilmacthomas, Ballyvoyle and Dungarvan a couple of years ago, before greenway work started.
Kilmacthomas station especially was in a sorry state. The Garda station wall extended to the edge of where the track had been, but the station building was utterly derelict. What is it like now?, was it restored or demolished?

Presumably many people from outside the area bring their bikes on / in their cars, and I am tempted to do the same.
There was a little car park above the viaduct in Kilmacthomas, probably used mostly by customers of Centra (or SuperValu?). Is this now full of cars belonging to greenway users?
I was thinking of doing this myself, but do not wish to make life difficult for the locals who have had this car park for themselves until recently. Otherwise Kilmacthomas is a bad place for parking on the street, being a safety hazard in many locations.

whisky_galore

Bringing up the elf n safety as an issue. Jaysus.

There's car parks in places other than Kilmacthomas if you're so concerned with that. Or go there in off peak, outside of summer.
Even so I saw plenty parking there last month. And kilmac has its own dedicated greenway car park.

Buildings are derelict but restoration is being planned, or so the notices say.

Jamie2k9

tabbey wrote: »

I looked around Kilmacthomas, Ballyvoyle and Dungarvan a couple of years ago, before greenway work started.
Kilmacthomas station especially was in a sorry state. The Garda station wall extended to the edge of where the track had been, but the station building was utterly derelict. What is it like now?, was it restored or demolished?

Presumably many people from outside the area bring their bikes on / in their cars, and I am tempted to do the same.
There was a little car park above the viaduct in Kilmacthomas, probably used mostly by customers of Centra (or SuperValu?). Is this now full of cars belonging to greenway users?
I was thinking of doing this myself, but do not wish to make life difficult for the locals who have had this car park for themselves until recently. Otherwise Kilmacthomas is a bad place for parking on the street, being a safety hazard in many locations.

There is 4 new car parks around the area with 4 entrances which consist of around 140 spaces (all free!).

* Workhouse Studios (includes new Coffee Shop half way point on greenway)
* Station - Garda Station beside
* The Mill - near Flahavan's
* McGrath's Cross

I don't think they have done a lot with the old station.

Might be of use
http://www.visitwaterfordgreenway.com/

tomwaterford

Jamie2k9 wrote: »

There is 4 new car parks around the area with 4 entrances which consist of around 140 spaces (all free!).

* Workhouse Studios (includes new Coffee Shop half way point on greenway)
* Station - Garda Station beside
* The Mill - near Flahavan's
* McGrath's Cross

I don't think they have done a lot with the old station.

Might be of use
http://www.visitwaterfordgreenway.com/

The old stat ion is demolitioed and now a carpark (with a few years )

tabbey

Jamie2k9 wrote: »

There is 4 new car parks around the area with 4 entrances which consist of around 140 spaces (all free!).

* Workhouse Studios (includes new Coffee Shop half way point on greenway)
* Station - Garda Station beside
* The Mill - near Flahavan's
* McGrath's Cross

Good to hear that there are new car parks, earlier posts suggested that the greenway might be a victim of it's own success.

I am glad to see that the workhouse is progressing. A pair of my ancestors worked there in the 1850s, so I will pay it another visit.

whisky_galore

tomwaterford wrote: »

The old stat ion is demolitioed and now a carpark (with a few years )

The only one completely obliterated is Dungarvan. Durrow & Stradbally and Kilmacthomas are derelict and Carroll's Cross modernised beyond all recognition. The only original features left of Kilmeaden are the platforms.

tomwaterford

whisky_galore wrote: »

The only one completely obliterated is Dungarvan. Durrow & Stradbally and Kilmacthomas are derelict and Carroll's Cross modernised beyond all recognition. The only original features left of Kilmeaden are the platforms.

I may have been reading this wrong and taught referring to garda stations!

dermo888

MGWR
"Unlikely. And certainly it'll get no revenue the way a railway would, i.e. if properly run; of course, a greenway generates no revenue. 

A greenway's completely useless for transporting freight, and the amount of "footprint" a motorway requires to transport the same amount of freight is exorbitant in cost especially in the long run."

Please, step away from the internet. Sir Henry Ivatts leaded paint in Broadstone works has affected the functionality of your brain sir.