Greenway Dash

While the countryside legislation situation in the Rep of Ireland remains stubbornly in stasis, the last couple of years have seen an absolute explosion in the development or proposed development of 'greenways' across the country. This is very welcome and reflects a growing understanding, especially in rural communities, of the benefits which are to be had from great countryside access, for both walker and cyclists. The noted (if, at least to this observer, entirely predictable) success of the Great Western Greenway in County Mayo has caused the country to sit up and take notice it would seem.

While greenways in themselves are not an alternative to wider countryside access, they can form another step in the continuing development of the countryside access situation in the Republic of Ireland. It also paints the tantalising prospect of an Ireland whereby local people are facilitated to travel much more by bike and on foot between towns and villages, leading to much reduced carbon emissions and a healthier population as well. The social benefits are almost endless.


A number of projects are now coming together, and in a surprisingly short period of time. A quick google search quickly reveals how many greenways are already underway.

http://www.deisegreenway.com
http://www.galwaytodublincycleway.ie/
http://candlgreenway.ie/
http://www.southerntrail.net/
http://www.irishgreenways.com/


Of course such progress across practically all parts of the country has met some pockets of resistance. The Irish Farmers Association continues to be predictably resistant to any initiative that seeks to open up the countryside to recreational users, and the rise of the greenway has drawn their ire in particular. Still a formidably powerful political force, they have managed to throw a spanner in the works of the Dublin to Galway project for instance.

Still, one gets the impression that they are very much fighting against the tide of history and that they are losing the argument with the general public. As speaker after speaker stands up in the Dail to demand that funding is made available for such greenways in their part of the country, it is only because they are being heavily lobbied by their constituents.

Coastal Path Proposal - Kilkeel to Ballyhalbert

I picked this little article up in the local paper, and it certainly piqued my interest. Ambitious in scope, the project proposes a continuous coastal path from Kilkeel to Ballyhalbert. The idea is a good one, obviously inspired by the coastal path projects going on across the water in Scotland, Wales, and now England. The problems it faces are, however, depressingly familiar and stem from the fact that our countryside access laws are not fit for purpose. The economic benefits of countryside access are a large part of why proposals such as these come to light in the first place, but unless our politicians in Stormont actually reform the legislative framework in a progressive manner, bringing us into line with the rest of the UK, then such initiatives may fail because of resistance from landowners with a misplaced fear of allowing recreational users onto their land.

Another issue is that, while called the 'Mourne and Strangford Lough Coastal Walking Path', the project actually chooses to mostly ignore the potential offered by the coastline of Strangford Lough, and instead routes itself along the eastern coastline of the Ards. Parts of this coastline are of course very scenic, especially that part running from Portaferry to Kearney. However, the Strangford Lough coastline, in my humble opinion, is overall a more scenic area and offers the prospect of a truly world class multi-day long-distance path. But perhaps it's a case of one step at a time! If this proposal can be realised and is successful, then the case for other coastal paths is much more easily made.