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Greenways [greenway map of Ireland in post 1]

dowlingm

So there's been quite a bit of discussion of greenways on threads like Western Rail Corridor (Train & Rail Systems) and I was thinking it might be useful to have a thread which pulls together both technical discussion (for example how greenways can co-exist with adjacent roadways or railways) and news (expansions of existing greenways / announcements of new ones)

According to the Connaught Tribune there are moves on getting on Galway-Clifden along the old rail line alignment. Is there anything else starting to reach firm proposals as opposed to discussion?

MOD EDIT: Fantastic Greenway map of Ireland by riddlinrussell here: https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=1HAHB3jpXV7qgrTHgopH4Zl7-ItDHGEPv&ll=53.4320326010536%2C-8.939188105408448&z=7

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Corca Baiscinn

Zubeneschamali wrote: »

The Greenway will go south to Shannonbridge and then up the old canal to Ballinasloe, so that entire section will be nowhere near the N6.

I think the poster was referring to the fact that there was talk after the land issue debacle of running the greenway parallel to the N 6 as a way out of the impasse but of course noise-wise it would hae been horrible

mr spuckler wrote: »

not to mind the fact that the old Tuam road is bad enough to drive, let alone cycle on!

Presume poster meant run it parallel to old Tuam road but still a greenway as opposed to a quietway? The proposal of going to Ballinasloe from Shannonbridge is fairly new so poster may not have been au fait with it

Zubeneschamali

Corca Baiscinn wrote: »

The proposal of going to Ballinasloe from Shannonbridge is fairly new so poster may not have been au fait with it

2013, I think, from the docs.

mr spuckler

Corca Baiscinn wrote: »

Presume poster meant run it parallel to old Tuam road but still a greenway as opposed to a quietway?

my post (in my head anyway) was meant to allude to that in case it was what the poster meant. the road itself is poor quality and narrow in most parts, so any extension for such a purpose would require CPOs the whole distance...

Zubeneschamali

mr spuckler wrote: »

my post (in my head anyway) was meant to allude to that in case it was what the poster meant. the road itself is poor quality and narrow in most parts, so any extension for such a purpose would require CPOs the whole distance...

If you are going to CPO the whole route, why would you run it alongside a busy road? Alongside the railway would make more sense - just a few trains per day go by.

Ideally, you would pick a scenic route joining small villages and towns and avoiding major roads and railways, but I think this would get maximum pushback from farmers.

mr spuckler

Zubeneschamali wrote: »

If you are going to CPO the whole route, why would you run it alongside a busy road? Alongside the railway would make more sense - just a few trains per day go by.

Ideally, you would pick a scenic route joining small villages and towns and avoiding major roads and railways, but I think this would get maximum pushback from farmers.

clearly I'm expressing myself very badly.

I was trying to highlight that the Tuam road suggestion was a poor idea for 2 reasons...1) the road itself is not suited to cycling and 2) running a greenway alongside it would be unfeasible because of the CPO requirement. as you've said, a greenway beside a busy road also wouldn't be the most appealing for users.

we've also seen with the existing route proposal how extensive CPOs just aren't a good idea if you're trying to get landowner engagement & buy-in.

Corca Baiscinn

Zubeneschamali wrote: »

2013, I think, from the docs.

Sorry, I was confusing that route with this more recent proposed Grand Canal/Royal Canal/Old Rail trail links to EV 2

From Offay Express,april 13th 2018
In addition to the 71kms of the canal mainline through Offaly, it is further planned to link the Grand Canal Greenway with the Royal Canal Greenway via the disused canal link from Ballycommon to Kilbeggan, in conjunction with Westmeath County Council and Waterways Ireland.

The Kilbeggan Link will provide a strategic National and Regional route linking the Royal Canal Greenway, the Old Rail Trail in Westmeath, the proposed Dublin to Galway ‘Euro Velo’ route, the Grand Canal Greenway and the proposed Barrow Blueway. It will also be possible to link the Grand Canal Greenway with Clonmacnoise and onwards to the West region via Banagher and Shannonbridge.

mr spuckler

If these proposals regarding the joining up of various pieces of greenway infrastructure in the midlands come to fruition it will really be an incredible addition to the area.
I always worry though with these things until I see some concrete approvals and funding in place!

riddlinrussell

Corca Baiscinn wrote: »

Sorry, I was confusing that route with this more recent proposed Grand Canal/Royal Canal/Old Rail trail links to EV 2

From Offay Express,april 13th 2018
In addition to the 71kms of the canal mainline through Offaly, it is further planned to link the Grand Canal Greenway with the Royal Canal Greenway via the disused canal link from Ballycommon to Kilbeggan, in conjunction with Westmeath County Council and Waterways Ireland.

The Kilbeggan Link will provide a strategic National and Regional route linking the Royal Canal Greenway, the Old Rail Trail in Westmeath, the proposed Dublin to Galway ‘Euro Velo’ route, the Grand Canal Greenway and the proposed Barrow Blueway. It will also be possible to link the Grand Canal Greenway with Clonmacnoise and onwards to the West region via Banagher and Shannonbridge.

While the route is clear for this along the Kilbeggan spur of the canal its less obvious from there, I've added a reasonable potential route running along the bank of the Barna river and the shore of Lough Ennell on my map, I'd appreciate any critiques or alternatives.

Also finally updated it with the Skibbereen to Schull railway (Rough Estimation of the route) and the Galway to Ballinasloe section of EV2 ( VERY rough estimate, I just drew a line between the towns it wanted to pass through in 2013).

Also got my crayons out for some routes around Northern Ireland also

marno21

North Kerry greenway ploughing on

http://www.radiokerry.ie/council-hold-public-consultation-day-regarding-proposed-north-kerry-greenway/

riddlinrussell

Updated map with proposed Glanmire Greenway from here. I get the feeling there are a number of these 'local' greenways that are flying under the radar. Please let me know if you know of anything like this, or improvements made to greenways in your area.

riddlinrussell

Short section of Connemara Greenway officially opened today

serfboard

riddlinrussell wrote: »

Short section of Connemara Greenway officially opened today

Galway Bay FM wrote:

The Connemara Greenway has been officially launched (28/5).

The master plan for the Connemara Greenway is to develop a 76km route stretching from the heart of Galway City out towards Clifden, following the path of the old rail line.

Our reporter in Recess ...

I presume the section being opened is in Recess, but the report doesn't say exactly where (i.e. the section from X to Y), or how much (in terms of KMs) of the Greenway has been opened.

mr spuckler

more details here.

The 6km Athry to Cloonbeg section of the route, which was opened by Monday by Galway county cathaoirleach Eileen Mannion, runs close to Ballynahinch Castle and Ballinafad graveyard, north of Roundstone.

Planning permission has been granted for the Oughterard to Clifden section, which takes in the Athry-Cloonbeg piece, but the Galway-Moycullen section has been stalled over access issues.

the map there also shows how much (or little) has been completed, it looks like just this stretch plus a short piece closer to the city that have been done to date.

Zubeneschamali

mr spuckler wrote: »

the map there also shows how much (or little) has been completed, it looks like just this stretch plus a short piece closer to the city that have been done to date.

There are a lot of handmade "No Greenway" signs out around Oughterard, even though there is a perfectly good railway alignment, closed since 1935.

mr spuckler

Zubeneschamali wrote: »

There are a lot of handmade "No Greenway" signs out around Oughterard, even though there is a perfectly good railway alignment, closed since 1935.

do you know if this is an objection to the concept of a greenway or just an issue regarding land access?

I can only assume it's the latter! I mean it's not like protesting against suggestions of new pylons or fracking for your local area...

riddlinrussell

serfboard wrote: »

I presume the section being opened is in Recess, but the report doesn't say exactly where (i.e. the section from X to Y), or how much (in terms of KMs) of the Greenway has been opened.

I managed to get a fairly clear idea of how much was done within this section, if you have a look on my map I have the completed section labelled as "Ballynahinch Greenway"

Zubeneschamali

mr spuckler wrote: »

do you know if this is an objection to the concept of a greenway or just an issue regarding land access?

I don't really understand what the "land access" issue is supposed to be - it's a railway alignment! You access the alignment where it touches existing roads.

riddlinrussell

Zubeneschamali wrote: »

I don't really understand what the "land access" issue is supposed to be - it's a railway alignment! You access the alignment where it touches existing roads.

It would only be that simple where the land is state owned, the vast majority of the land for these old railway alignments was either sold off or is well past the date required for farmers along the route to claim 'eminent domain'. In numerous places the line has been closed for long enough that houses have been built on the alignments, they pass through farmers work yards, intersect fields etc. its a thorny issue and the merest suggestion of CPOs tends to get landowners up in arms. The process used for all these routes will probably look towards the examples set by the Waterford-Dungarvan Greenway and the Great Western Greenway, but each will have their own unique set of issues.

Del.Monte

riddlinrussell wrote: »

Short section of Connemara Greenway officially opened today

Good to see this happening as it will retain the rail route for future reopening.

spacetweek

Del.Monte wrote: »

Good to see this happening as it will retain the rail route for future reopening.

You mean... reopening as a greenway, right?

Del.Monte

spacetweek wrote: »

You mean... reopening as a greenway, right?

Nope.

loyatemu

Del.Monte wrote: »

Good to see this happening as it will retain the rail route for future reopening.

the Galway - Clifden line? We'll all be living in colonies on Mars before that happens. Even during the golden age of railways that line struggled, it was one of the first to be shut down.

Del.Monte

My original comment was tongue in cheek and while I would love to see it reopen it's not going to happen.

Muckyboots

Del.Monte wrote: »

My original comment was tongue in cheek and while I would love to see it reopen it's not going to happen.

For the railway heritage advocates who follow Greenway threads - just to note that there are plans to refurbish Maam Cross Station and a section of the track on the back of the greenway investment.

riddlinrussell

Muckyboots wrote: »

For the railway heritage advocates who follow Greenway threads - just to note that there are plans to refurbish Maam Cross Station and a section of the track on the back of the greenway investment.

Protecting railway/canal/riverside heritage along the greenway routes is one of the things I see as a major feature of the routes, great for providing tourist draw, Ireland seems to have a very poor record of looking after its heritage, I wish it had something like the UK National Trust that worked to preserve, protect and provide access to heritage sites in Ireland instead of them all crumbling away in fields.

Del.Monte

riddlinrussell wrote: »

Protecting railway/canal/riverside heritage along the greenway routes is one of the things I see as a major feature of the routes, great for providing tourist draw, Ireland seems to have a very poor record of looking after its heritage, I wish it had something like the UK National Trust that worked to preserve, protect and provide access to heritage sites in Ireland instead of them all crumbling away in fields.

Couldn't agree more and it's very sad to see unique items such as water towers, turntables etc. being left to fall down or being needlessly swept away on the operational railway.

hi5

Del.Monte wrote: »

Good to see this happening as it will retain the rail route for future reopening.

That boat is well sailed.
Now if they had banned one off housing in the country side as part of the planning permission act of 1964 and developed the towns and villages served by the rail lines those same rail lines might actually have survived.
A little bit of foresight and we could have killed two birds with the same stone.

riddlinrussell

South Sligo Greenway got a mention in the Sligo Champion
https://www.independent.ie/regionals/sligochampion/news/greenway-could-open-up-a-world-of-opportunity-36952902.html

marno21

Kerry County Council now seeking planning permission for 10.5km greenway between Tralee and Fenit.

http://www.radiokerry.ie/kerry-county-council-seeking-planning-tralee-fenit-greenway/

Del.Monte

Does that mean that the Tralee/Fenit railway won't be opening as a railway line anytime soon?