Greenway Holiday

RunRoryRun

We’ve done both Waterford and Western with very young kids in a trailer. Both fantastic.

For Waterford, we started in Dungarvan and stopped overnight in and Airbnb on Main Street in kilmacthomas. Into Waterford the following day and hotel with pool for the kids. Then back to the same place in kilmacthomas for a night before back to Dungarvan and home. We’d done the western the previous year in 3 days and found it a little more rushed, so gave ourselves the extra day.

Loads of cafes along the route. Enjoy it!

dinneenp

Dunmore East is close to the Waterford Greenway & a lovely spot.
Beach, walks, pure relaxing.
Self catering isn't cheap though and many places would be fully booked already.

Seth Brundle

dinneenp wrote: »

Self catering isn't cheap though and many places would be fully booked already.

That's what I found.
Most places are unavailable and those that are are mental prices.

JMcL

All this talk of the greenway made me pull out the finger today (on a day off) and tick off the out and back from my bucket list where it's been languishing for a long time.5 hours, 119km (to/from Tramore) at a bit under 24km/h Some bell-end contractors laying cable for SIRO along it at the moment with the usual passive aggressive "Cyclists dismount" signs up though first prize goes to idiots picking up a mini digger on a truck the width of the track who rather than wait 30 seconds for me to go past started driving towards me, then caught their digger on some cable strung up across the path causing them to leap out leaving both doors open making it even more difficult to get by

tigerboon

Hurrache wrote: »

I'd say there's a few of us watching this closely, our family had an identical discussion the weekend.

All options mentioned here have come up, bar the Mullingar Greenway which I'm not familiar with, stupidly so as it's close to family and would make a great day out

The Mullingar one is probably the best built greenway but there's (being generous) not much to see. The canal from Mullingar towards Longford is nicer especially the section from Ballinacarrigy onwards. The surface is mostly gravel/quarry dust but it's ok for road bikes

Randy Archer

tigerboon wrote: »

The Mullingar one is probably the best built greenway but there's (being generous) not much to see. The canal from Mullingar towards Longford is nicer especially the section from Ballinacarrigy onwards. The surface is mostly gravel/quarry dust but it's ok for road bikes

As someone who would champion the Mullingar to Athlone cycleway ,as it’s probably the best thing to happen for Athlone in years, sadly this is true . Surface is excellent , and is extremely worthwhile if you are doing the Dublin to Galway route, can be done quickly and zero hassle . But there’s NOTHING in terms of attractions or stuff to look at

Just bring tubes (surface is fine ,rare for puncture but .. you are in the middle of no where ) Might want to bring a sandwich or two as the shops /cafe are few and far between and you have to get onto the road until Moate)

From Moate on to Mullingar the scenery does get nicer but ,meh. Coming into Mullingar after Castletown is a bit fun though. The country roads and lanes are nice though, very green ,good farmland

Boring ? Sadly, yes, after doing it loads of times, but , if those who cycle for fitness etc And don’t want the hassle of cars on the road , it’s great . I have done Dublin to Athlone via main roads several times , pretty safe , but by the time I get to Kilbeggan or Moate, I just want to get the feck off the road

For those not familiar with the route , here are a few thoughts

The greenway is Really quiet area and the embankments ,which actually block The view of bogs etc ,are decent from sheltering one from wind etc

If people are inclined to go from Mullingar to Athlone and vice versa, and, I refer to people in groups or people ridding it slowly (40 km can be done easily within hour and a half Or two hours and less) might want to pack a few sandwiches . There aren’t many Stops long the way for food or attractions but

Castletown Station stop had a nice water tap (Not to be underestimated on a warm day cause there’s isn’t anything on the route for water access ) ,not sure it’s working now (as of last week). from The station , there you can go onto the road to Castletown village For food etc which is only a few km away ,mostly “downhill” so a bit of fun. From there you can go to Lough Ennell ,all on road but quiet roads . 10km from the Castletown stops you can get into Kilbeggan but it’s on the “main road” nice cycle ,quiet enough road (when there’s no horse racing going on at their race course )

Alternatively ,from Castletown you could go the other direction onto the road for the Hill of Uisneach . That road can be a little busy (main road from Athlone to Mullingar) but it’s barely 5km so you should be grand , decent hard shoulder

Streamstown , there’s Horseleap (nice short “hills”) for cyclists ,but meh

Next would be Moate, shops just around the corner in the main “town” . next to the cycleway is a cafe near the golf course And a heritage centre . From MOate there is alway the back roads to Mount Temple , which is a lovley area , a bit “hilly” in parts but an enjoyable ride . There are two other greenway stops between Moate and Athlone to let you into Mount temple . Moydrum castle is around there (U2 album cover ) but not much else, maybe the odd shop . However , from Mount Temple, you can access some back roads that will get you into the picturesque village of Glassan and nearby Portlick and the shores of Lough Ree and LOADS of quality places for food !! These roads can be “hilly” in spots but pretty safe .

Then again , the main road from Athlone to Glassan is safe enough with the hard shoulder , just a very busy road (you can dodge like a plague the “hill climb” at Ballykerran to Glassan by staying left on the flatter road at the fork where the Dog n Duck pub is .

Then there’s Athlone itself , meh, don’t cycle into the town , Ballymahon Road is busier nowadays with the one way system (forget about getting through the town to the bridge via main road , not worth it unless the town is dead ), obviously you can cut through Beechpark west and up to North gate street but not cyclist friendly . (feck it’s safer to cycle the dual carriageway bridge to get over to roscommon side than cross the town bridge lol) . A 1km greenway route is being built next to the Athlone exit to get ya closer to the planned bridge to continue To the castle and then west However .

Over all, Athlone - Mullingar : quality surface, safe and you can stop whenever you want . Ideal if you are passing on to the west . You won’t really be exposed to harsh weather due to the embankments and there’s always a bridge or two to shelter under (some nice designed bridges ) If you want to see things Or get food well, be prepared to go on the roads , least till you get to Moate . The roads ain’t too bad to be fair . I don’t think the greenway does enough to remind people that the areas around the greenway are interesting and are not bland . If you are using the greenway for fitness , ya won’t give a fiddlers for things to see etc , it’s excellent for getting the kms in at whatever pace you want .

Quiet enjoyed the canal routes. Done Mullingar to Cloondara . It’s lovely, the surface is decent , And closer to place to stop for tea etc if that’s your thing , just be wary of cars on some paths (close to homes) also done Mullingar to Movalley too . Really nice. The locks are nice to look at and there’s a few pubs like Nanny Quinn’s (again, country roads around there for spin around rural areas, are lovely, very green and clean scenery )

The Western phase of the Athlone to Galway greenway will have better scenery and things to look at eg view from across the Shannon And Shannon bridge , and see parts of Clonmacnoise from across the Shannon (if the route cuts through Clonown) , then there’s Aughrim (some of those country roads are nice to cycle . Looking forward to when that finally gets agreed

Hurrache

That's super Andy, plenty to digest.

Seth Brundle

Did the Waterford Greenway today between Dungarvan and Kilmacthomas (return) which worked out at about 47km.
Lovely surface - I was on my road bike and wife and kids on hybrids but it was an easy enough jaunt: some slopes but no hills which suited those in the group unused to cycling.
Hired two of the bikes from O'Mahonys @ €15 each for the day (cheap!). Jupiter Tuscans which I had never heard of but were fine for the job.
Got lunch in Kierseys in Kilmac which was nice. Didn't look at the menu for the Coachhouse but it looked quite busy from outside.
Plenty of places on the greenway to stop and have a quick snack with both picnic tables and rock clusters.
As a family day out, I'd highly recommend it. Its very safe, clean and scenic.

Thanks again for the advice & recommendations.

a148pro

Randy Archer wrote: »

As someone who would champion the Mullingar to Athlone cycleway ,as it’s probably the best thing to happen for Athlone in years, sadly this is true . Surface is excellent , and is extremely worthwhile if you are doing the Dublin to Galway route, can be done quickly and zero hassle . But there’s NOTHING in terms of attractions or stuff to look at

Sadly this was my experience of the same route. They really should consider planting wildflowers or something along the embankment portions as you're just cycling through an area lined with weeds. Maybe they could plant interesting plants that attract wildlife and put in signs about them for kids. Or include suggested spurs to local towns and spots of interest with good infrastructure to them. I agree that the canal is more attractive.

I'd actually go a bit further and say that each of the greenways is probably overrated in terms of their scenic value. There are portions of the Westport and Waterford ones with great views, but also long portions which are relatively meh. Anyone who cycles in the hills will enjoy better views a lot more.

Now obviously the great advantage of these routes is that they are car free and you can get kids and non cyclists out on them. You will not get those groups up the hills realistically. But I'd be anxious that fit non family cyclists, and particularly perhaps those travelling from other countries to cycle here, aren't under the impression that the greenways offer the best we have in terms of scenic value.

They're still worth doing and its worth encouraging local investment in these kind of schemes. You can sense the pride in the local community when you've traveled to cycle these routes, I was approached by a randomer in the Mullingar car park telling me how nice the route would be and making sure I got off in the right direction. Anyone who's spun into Dungarvan town will see how accommodating motorists are to cyclists etc.

sweet_trip

I think the Waterford Greenway is nicer going from the city into Dungarvan personally.


Also a 30 minute drive from Waterford you can do the Carrick On Suir to Clonmel blueway. Which is much shorter but honestly I thought it was beautiful along the river suir, even nicer than the greenway perhaps (debatable). You'd need a sunny day though or it'd probably be misery.


Another thing about the Blueway is there's nowhere to really stop for food along it. Also it's quite narrow and right beside the river so not much room for error and it can be quite busy with walkers etc if you go during peak times.

Randy Archer

Another pathway worth mentioning is the Dainegan - Tullamore route, it can get you close to Shannon Harbour . The pathway can be a bitch stoney in parts ala Parix Roubaix (so fun)

It goes long the Grand Canal , surface isn’t as good as Mullingar to Clondara or Mullingar to Movalley , but you can do it on a road bike with 25 mm tires , just you might not want to be riding hard and fast . Obviously there are stretches in and out of Tullamore where the surface is grand

The scenery is nice , more nature

Plans are that this will one day link up with Kilbeggan (and I think Moate) , which in turn Is about 10km ride on good road from the Castletown stop on the Athlone Mullingar route

De Bhál

sweet_trip wrote: »

...it's quite narrow and right beside the river so not much room for error and it can be quite busy with walkers etc if you go during peak times.

I've rode that blueway a few times and you're right, there is no room for error especially if the river is high and is lipping the edge of the path. That's not a river you want to end up in when in full flow.
The path perfectly fine, just to be aware if bringing young kids who are new to cycling.

Randy Archer

a148pro wrote: »

Sadly this was my experience of the same route. They really should consider planting wildflowers or something along the embankment portions as you're just cycling through an area lined with weeds. Maybe they could plant interesting plants that attract wildlife and put in signs about them for kids. Or include suggested spurs to local towns and spots of interest with good infrastructure to them. I agree that the canal is more attractive.

I'd actually go a bit further and say that each of the greenways is probably overrated in terms of their scenic value. There are portions of the Westport and Waterford ones with great views, but also long portions which are relatively meh. Anyone who cycles in the hills will enjoy better views a lot more.

Now obviously the great advantage of these routes is that they are car free and you can get kids and non cyclists out on them. You will not get those groups up the hills realistically. But I'd be anxious that fit non family cyclists, and particularly perhaps those travelling from other countries to cycle here, aren't under the impression that the greenways offer the best we have in terms of scenic value.

They're still worth doing and its worth encouraging local investment in these kind of schemes. You can sense the pride in the local community when you've traveled to cycle these routes, I was approached by a randomer in the Mullingar car park telling me how nice the route would be and making sure I got off in the right direction. Anyone who's spun into Dungarvan town will see how accommodating motorists are to cyclists etc.

Just outside Moate (Mullingar side) there is a very wide space (our left when going to Athlone direction ) which I hope or assume they would develop eg benches , Water tap etc swings (Castletown did a great job)

Yes, not enough to remind people that places like Hill of Uisneach is only 4-5kn away (there is a sign for the town land but outsiders wouldn’t know it ) and a map/directions on how to get to Lough Ennell (I know, if I want going on a days ride , I’d do my research but ..)

They did on places, have some interesting plants along the route last year . Maybe it was the weather , but I do agree. Bar one or two minor episodes (breaking fences at Mount Temple) people don’t seem inclined to damage the property (put it out away from the towns so the little ****s won’t rip them up)

Remarkably , no mention of the fact that Seán Connerys famous film was hot on this rail line

For a tourist stand point , they should think of it as a convenient hassle free way to cut through the midlands in reasonably quick time (1 hr 30 mins is doable without killing themselves )

For the locals, it does the job for fitness and for kids to learn to cycle .

Corca Baiscinn

@Randy Archer and @148Pro your posts are too long to quote but what you both say re Athlone to Mullingar Greenway is really interesting . I' did it one-way from Moate a few years ago, enjoyed it very much in terms of the quiet,the surface and ability to ride side by chat and chat without being in anyone's way but my companion claimed it was boring! I noticed not passing through any towns or villages and didn't know that Castletown or the hill of Uisneach were nearby and worth a detour. We had a coffee stop in Moate before starting so the lack of food stops on the route was ok but if you started in Athlone, Moate would probably be too soon. It was Spring so there were some flowers to see and birds to listen to.

It looks like if this Greenway was applying for funding now under the Greenway Strategy it likely wouldn't qualify except that it's of strategic value as part of the longer Dublin-Galway route. The strategy has 5 criteria, Scenic, Things to see and do, Sustainable, Segregated and Strategic. You seem to be saying and I agree that its not exactly scenic and if there are things to see and do they are not well signed or promoted. A huge sum of money is going to spent on an iconic pedestrian and cycling bridge across the Shannon at Athlone. Maybe Westmeath Co Co should be pressed to make more of an effort to promote things to see and do around the rail trail and add some value to the experience for the people cycling and local enterprise. Ye should contact Westmeath Co Co and claim a consultancy fee for your good ideas!

Corca Baiscinn

sweet_trip wrote: »

.Another thing about the Blueway is there's nowhere to really stop for food along it. Also it's quite narrow and right beside the river so not much room for error and it can be quite busy with walkers etc if you go during peak times.

Agree the Blueway is fab and narrow! Views of the river and across to cornfields, horses, cows, were glorious. Not sure the lack of somewhere to eat is a problem on such a short stretch. We stopped in Kilsheelan, (just up a ramp) and had takeaway coffee and cake from the local shop but there seemed to be people going into the pub too so it possibly had food. It's a noisy village being on the main Limerick Waterford road but the local tidy towns had some fab work with wildflower planting and there as a wall to sit on or we could have carried the coffee back down the ramp to the gorgeous stone bridge.

Corca Baiscinn

Have any of you cycled the length of the Shannon as a bike holiday or as near as is practical? I'd love to do it but dont think there's a suitable route or any plan for one the full length. It's a pity as River Routes are popular in Europe, Think of routes along the Loire, Rhine, Rhone, Meuse and Danube. But all these are sadly out of bounds at the minute.
Looking at the map the source at the Shannon Pot to Carrick on Shannon can be done on R Roads + Blueway from Drumshanbo. After that can't see any option without a substantial diversion bar the N4 to Rooskey. There's a minor road then to Tarmonbarry and you could divert to the Royal Canal Greenway at nearby Clondra which would get you to Ballymahon. Looks like an N road again to Athlone or are there alternatives?

After that its a matter of holing up for a few years until they build the Athlone-Clonmacnoise Greenway and on to Shannonbridge. Bit of diverting to get to Portumna then down the West side of of Lough Derg to Scarriff. Hole up there again til they build the mooted Scarriff to Limerick Greenway or take the road.

Looks nearly as far again to go all the way from there to Loop Head! Does anyone think we should look to build a compete route along our longest river?

Chiparus

Corca Baiscinn wrote: »

Agree the Blueway is fab and narrow! Views of the river and across to cornfields, horses, cows, were glorious. Not sure the lack of somewhere to eat is a problem on such a short stretch. We stopped in Kilsheelan, (just up a ramp) and had takeaway coffee and cake from the local shop but there seemed to be people going into the pub too so it possibly had food. It's a noisy village being on the main Limerick Waterford road but the local tidy towns had some fab work with wildflower planting and there as a wall to sit on or we could have carried the coffee back down the ramp to the gorgeous stone bridge.

Did the same, its a bit of a hidden gem, saw an otter long the way , only did Carrick to Clonmel return.

Spanish Eyes

Would love to do the Greeenway anywhere, but I am deaf and therefore have balance issues on a bike now.

Might try it though and see. The Western Greenway looks good as does the Deise Greenway.
Anyway could always walk it I suppose if we could get a pick up back if knackered! Apologies this is in the cycling thread so I suppose I am not allowed to speak of alternatives on these Greenways. lol.

Seth Brundle

What about a three wheeled bike?

iwillhtfu

Spanish Eyes wrote: »

Would love to do the Greeenway anywhere, but I am deaf and therefore have balance issues on a bike now.

Might try it though and see. The Western Greenway looks good as does the Deise Greenway.
Anyway could always walk it I suppose if we could get a pick up back if knackered! Apologies this is in the cycling thread so I suppose I am not allowed to speak of alternatives on these Greenways. lol.

If you're an early riser you'll have the Waterford Greenway to yourself from about 06:00 - 08:00 I did it a couple of weeks back and I met one person between Waterford and Dungarvan. Coming back it was starting to get busy and a lot busier nearer Waterford with large groups of walkers spread across the width of the track. A bell on these greenways is a must and the louder the better.

[Deleted User]

Spanish Eyes wrote: »

Would love to do the Greeenway anywhere, but I am deaf and therefore have balance issues on a bike now.

Might try it though and see. The Western Greenway looks good as does the Deise Greenway.
Anyway could always walk it I suppose if we could get a pick up back if knackered! Apologies this is in the cycling thread so I suppose I am not allowed to speak of alternatives on these Greenways. lol.

You should take a look into trikes. Loads of different variants these days to suit

whisky_galore

Athlone Mullingar.
Athlone end is plastered with dog shıt and rubbish.
Castletown has a very nice water tap, which doesn't dispense water.
Mullingar is a dowdy dump of a town with little to encourage one to linger there.

a148pro

Chiparus wrote: »

Did the same, its a bit of a hidden gem, saw an otter long the way , only did Carrick to Clonmel return.

That blueway is so nice I made the point of emailing tipp co council when I got back thanking them for doing it so well. There is a nice village along the way as someone mentioned where you can get food if need be.

a148pro

Corca Baiscinn wrote: »

Have any of you cycled the length of the Shannon as a bike holiday or as near as is practical? I'd love to do it but dont think there's a suitable route or any plan for one the full length. It's a pity as River Routes are popular in Europe, Think of routes along the Loire, Rhine, Rhone, Meuse and Danube. But all these are sadly out of bounds at the minute.
Looking at the map the source at the Shannon Pot to Carrick on Shannon can be done on R Roads + Blueway from Drumshanbo. After that can't see any option without a substantial diversion bar the N4 to Rooskey. There's a minor road then to Tarmonbarry and you could divert to the Royal Canal Greenway at nearby Clondra which would get you to Ballymahon. Looks like an N road again to Athlone or are there alternatives?

After that its a matter of holing up for a few years until they build the Athlone-Clonmacnoise Greenway and on to Shannonbridge. Bit of diverting to get to Portumna then down the West side of of Lough Derg to Scarriff. Hole up there again til they build the mooted Scarriff to Limerick Greenway or take the road.

Looks nearly as far again to go all the way from there to Loop Head! Does anyone think we should look to build a compete route along our longest river?

Funnily enough I did the drumshanbo blue / green way yesterday, and was at the shannon pot a couple of days before. It's a great idea for a route but I don't think we've a history of tow paths beside our rivers hence there's no infrastructure. Europe seems to be different that way. Also suspect a lot of the shannon, or bits at least, is flood plain which might create difficulties.

The drumshanbo spin is actually on a canal that runs alongside the shannon, I presume built because the shannon isn't navigable there. It was grand but fundamentally you're on a gravel path beside a man made canal - not too aesthetic. It ends at a floating boardwalk south of drumshanbo which kids will like and there's a good cafe there, as well as a playground and small visitors centre. But there's none of the integration you see in dungarvan for instance, where the infrastructure continues into the town. We missed the cafe yesterday, there was no sign telling you the greenway ended, so proceeded along ultimately very narrow footpaths into drumshanbo. No infrastructure there, literally, no cafe or place to get hot food beyond one dingy pub, no signage telling you of the existence of the greenway a kilometer down the road or telling you it had ended. Was dangerous cycling around the town with kids.

There are also blue ways around ballinamore, again along canals linking the shannon with the erne.

As with the mullingar one it is GREAT to see these being built, to see them being used by local communities and they are worthy cycles for tourists like me, whom hopefully bring in money for areas that could do with more tourist income. I don't want my comments in this thread to detract from that. But if your starting point is a grit path beside an unnatural environment or a recessed train line then there's a need to dress the route up a bit to get the best out of it.

a148pro

Another thing to consider is there are plenty of other environments suitable for greenways. Forests, mountains and bogs for instance. Coillte have just put one in a wind park in galway. Think there are a few in lough boora which i've not been to yet.

There's also an amazing place tucked into the corner of cavan and leitrim, the cavan geopark. It's basically an outdoor museum of neolithic and geological stuff. You can cycle around it and stop to see the features and there's excellent informative displays there. If everyone cycled it would be problematic but as yet very few people seem to visit. The area is surrounded by very quiet roads some of which are visited by the cavan way and a really good family cycle route could be put in.

In fact I have to send another one of those emails or better still try to speak to whomever did it as it really superb.

fisgon

I just did half the Waterford Greenway and I would second everything said here about it; it is highly recommended, a very good surface, interesting things to see along the way, gorgeous views, variety, everything you could want in a greenway.

I have also done the Mayo one, and the difference is pretty big, I would say - the Deise one is much more developed, much busier, with a lot more population along the way - definitely more infrastructure. The Mayo one is wilder, emptier, with fewer places to stop off in. If you want to feel like you are in the middle of nowhere, the Mayo Greenway is the one you want, especially going into Achill.

Either way, both are worth a go - really, every county should have a Greenway at this stage; they are fantastic resources and big tourist draws.

[Deleted User]

a148pro wrote: »

Another thing to consider is there are plenty of other environments suitable for greenways. Forests, mountains and bogs for instance. Coillte have just put one in a wind park in galway.

Is that "Galway Wind Park" you are referring to? If so, it's not a greenway by any stretch. It's a forest, with wind turbines and rough AF gravel tracks to the turbines for servicing with a few other tracks running through it.

Don't get me wrong, it's a nice spot for a walk but it's a greenway it ain't

a148pro

Yeah I haven't done it yet, looked like sitka gravel fest alright. "Un road interrupted cycle route" so! To be honest, I love anything on a bike that doesn't involve cars.

Corca Baiscinn

a148pro wrote: »

We missed the cafe yesterday, there was no sign telling you the greenway ended, so proceeded along ultimately very narrow footpaths into drumshanbo. No infrastructure there, literally, no cafe or place to get hot food beyond one dingy pub, no signage telling you of the existence of the greenway a kilometer down the road or telling you it had ended. Was dangerous cycling around the town with kids.

There are also blue ways around ballinamore, again along canals linking the shannon with the erne.

As with the mullingar one it is GREAT to see these being built, to see them being used by local communities and they are worthy cycles for tourists like me, whom hopefully bring in money for areas that could do with more tourist income. I don't want my comments in this thread to detract from that. But if your starting point is a grit path beside an unnatural environment or a recessed train line then there's a need to dress the route up a bit to get the best out of it.

A cycling link between Acres Lake and Drumshanbo is a no brainer. I can't fathom the lack of signage and maps unless it's based on the idea "If you're local you'll know where to go and if you're not we want to sell you a "package" so you dont need to know anything"
Agree, it is great to cycle away from traffic but return visits need something more especially as green/blue ways develop and we have more choice.
Yes you're right re canals and floodplains but I still like the idea of cycling along or near our longest river

Corca Baiscinn

a148pro wrote: »

Another thing to consider is there are plenty of other environments suitable for greenways. Forests, mountains and bogs for instance. Coillte have just put one in a wind park in galway. Think there are a few in lough boora which i've not been to yet.

There's also an amazing place tucked into the corner of cavan and leitrim, the cavan geopark. It's basically an outdoor museum of neolithic and geological stuff. You can cycle around it and stop to see the features and there's excellent informative displays there. If everyone cycled it would be problematic but as yet very few people seem to visit. The area is surrounded by very quiet roads some of which are visited by the cavan way and a really good family cycle route could be put in.

In fact I have to send another one of those emails or better still try to speak to whomever did it as it really superb.

I've been to the GeoPark too and would highly recommend it but didn't realise cycling was permitted. Dont remember any actual cycle paths and arent the pedestrian paths a bit narrow to be shared use? Lough Boora is very interesting and very different and unspoiled. Both those places though require a car trip to get there whereas the benefits of the established greenways is that they are accessible to locals for recreation or commuting more or less from their front doors.

Forest routes are a bit tricky I think because of tree roots but have cycled through a few abroad. I'm guessing the reason routes through old rail lines and towpaths are popular is that if the land is already State owned it greatly simplifies the development process and reduces the cost. The Suir Blueway was interesting in that while it was navigable in Marconi's time and therefore had a towpath it must be fishermen who kept it in use after that as there are a lot of fishing club signs plus I've never seen as many benches on a route before. Waited ages on Royal Canal to find one to eat my apple on and when I did find it it was occupied!