Cycling the grand canal

Never mind the scramblers!

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mloc123 wrote: »

Anyone know what the current state of the roadworks are at the Adamstown (Sarsfield GAA) section? Is that completed now or still ongoing?

Still ongoing. Barriers still up to direct you onto the metal bridge when heading towards Sarsfield GAA. The road still needs it's final layer but must be getting close!

Side note.. they cut the hedge along the greenway between the metal bridge and the outer ring road. Left it in an awful state. Bits of hacked and shredded hedge bits all across the greenway. Avoiding it until the next heavy wind / rain as I don't want to be dealing with a puncture in this cold weather.

Saw that rubbish today it’s a mix of garden, household and construction waste. If settled people didn’t engage them the problem would fix itself. They had at least one tipper truck and were drawing loads back and dumping around the lane. I was off for two weeks and they really upped their game in that time. I saw the council clearing some up 3 weeks ago while they were still there and the truck packed meters away obvious it was the source. What’s worse is there is permanent CCTV here so either not working or not monitored. This happens every 6 -12 months here along with the usual fly tipping every few weeks but this is by far the worse I’ve seen it.

The section to Hazelhatch is pretty bad now..

a148pro wrote: »

Jesus, I like my greenways unpaved but that's ridiculous

There's obviously been some vehicle traffic down it? I cycled it in late summer early autumn and it wasn't bad at all, think the only real mud was under trees on the run in to sallins

The canal bank had been repaired or re-aligned at a couple of sections, so I guess there was a lot of construction traffic doing that. They had planning notices up along the section now for the resurfacing.

I know I saw it this am and couldn't believe it. They installed 2 plugs at most gates so may of been a mistake closing it but there had been an increase in speed and frequency of scramblers on the tow path so could of been a reaction to that

I ran along the route last week, the final section between Clondalkin and Grange Castle was... interesting. Cold weather doesn't keep them inside... just light a fire on the canal bank instead.

Great news that they've finished the works, I came off on the red bridge in the frost a couple of weeks back and have seen a few people fall on it so I won't miss it. I think its an old lock keepers house, it has always been popular with them and a lot of drug activity goes on around it. A few of them were displaced after the guy had his throat slashed beside the 9th lock last year and they moved to the vicinity of the house.

I've cycled that path daily for years and never noticed any issues around 11th lock. It's only the past few weeks that it has turned ugly for me. The path is absolutely filthy. So much broken glass. Rubbish strewn about. Marks of leftover fires. Always a bunch of people hanging about on the path that you have to make your way through. A bit intimidating to say the least.

Are the recently opened gates contributing to the behaviour in this area? I don't believe so myself as I see the motorbikes enter and leave the path through gaps in the hedge nearby.

You don't necessary need the guards to give chase. Just the odd patrol on foot / bicycle or motorbike along the path would be nice. I've never seen a guard on the grand canal path - though I know others have said here that they have.

We are not even near the summer term when you notice an immediate pick-up in anti social behaviour once school is out. What's it going to be like then!

Not sure if this has been mentioned but SDCC looking to extend greenway from 12th lock to Hazelhatch to join up with with cycle path Kildare CC have built after McEvoys.

https://consult.sdublincoco.ie/en/consultation/part-8-grand-canal-greenway-hazelhatch-12th-lock

Mixed feelings on it as I did enjoy the quietness and lovely rural settings that hit as soon as you went over the 12th lock but I only visited it in summer so this will make it more accessible to cyclists and walkers. I just hope it doesn't have any issues with antisocial behaviour or dumping as this stretch is much more isolated than the previous few km.

Just giving this a bump anyone travel between the 12th and Hazelhatch recently? What were conditions like? Also any ETA for the start of the Greenway works?

There is quite a large line of caravans currently moving onto the greenway track in the field between Haydens lane and the metal bridge on the grand canal in Lucan. They are getting through a gap in the hedge somewhere..

They are parking on both greenway paths - so you have to take to the field to access the canal.

I'd advise not taking the metal bridge from now on - stick to the canal and go all the way to or from the Newcastle road.

:mad:

Saw them arriving and hoped they' keep going as the paths are blocked now fly tipping in the area again last night too no coincidence.

mloc123 wrote: »

They are parked in the field... or on the canal bank?

In the field.. not near the canal. Hard to describe! You know that field you cross to get to the metal bridge.

tnegun wrote: »

Rang Lucan Gardai and they're aware of it so call them too 01-6667300 the more people that do the better.

Thanks tnegun. I called too. They said as it is council property, there is nothing they can do without the council's help. That field will be destroyed.

Maybe they might rearrange themselves so they are not blocking the path later. It was mostly the vans and cars blocking both tracks. Not a chance I'll be going this route again until they are moved off.

What was left behind the last time