Mayo - Sligo Greenway

westtip

A new greenway (dedicated walking and cycling track) has opened on the old Newport to Mulranny railway line - its 17.k long and is already proving a great success at bringing more visitors to the Westport/Newport area - there are plans to extend it from Newport to Westport and from Mulranny to Achill island - it follows the route of the very old Westport Achill railway line.

The Claremorris/Collooney railway line is lying redundant and unused and is in the foreseeable future unlikely to see a train run on it for many years despite a vigorous campaign to re-open it. This is known as the northern section of the ~Western Rail Corridor (WRC) from Sligo to Limerick. The Government has only committed to re-opening the WRC from Athenry to Claremorris and that may not actually happen in current economic times.

Eamon O'Cuiv at a conference in claremorris in May 09 about the WRC suggested the Claremorris/Collooney line should for the time being at least be converted to a greenway.

Note a similar thread has been set up in the Sligo forum but people may not visit both sligo and mayo forums.

What do folks in Mayo think of this idea. A website has been set up to debate this issue www.sligomayogreenway.com if you want to know more click on that website and post views here and email the website

Esroh

westtip wrote: »

A new greenway (dedicated walking and cycling track) has opened on the old Newport to Mulranny railway line - its 17.k long and is already proving a great success at bringing more visitors to the Westport/Newport area - there are plans to extend it from Newport to Westport and from Mulranny to Achill island - it follows the route of the very old Westport Achill railway line.

The Claremorris/Collooney railway line is lying redundant and unused and is in the foreseeable future unlikely to see a train run on it for many years despite a vigorous campaign to re-open it. This is known as the northern section of the ~Western Rail Corridor (WRC) from Sligo to Limerick. The Government has only committed to re-opening the WRC from Athenry to Claremorris and that may not actually happen in current economic times.

Eamon O'Cuiv at a conference in claremorris in May 09 about the WRC suggested the Claremorris/Collooney line should for the time being at least be converted to a greenway.

Note a similar thread has been set up in the Sligo forum but people may not visit both sligo and mayo forums.

What do folks in Mayo think of this idea. A website has been set up to debate this issue www.sligomayogreenway.com if you want to know more click on that website and post views here and email the website

+ 1 as they have already started repossesing the South Mayo Branch Line from Claremorris to Ballinrobe so as to open as a greenway.

bandit197

Its a great idea and should really have been done long ago. For one it would be a much safer place to walk and cycle rather than being on the main roads.

westtip

Thanks guys if you can visit the website www.sligomayogreenway.com and spend a couple of minutes rattling off emails to the great and the good in support of this idea, that would be fantastic. I would like to see a parallel greenway developed along the Athenry-Claremorris proposed rail line - take a look at the sustrans links on the sligomayogreenway website to see what I mean.

bandit197 wrote: »

Its a great idea and should really have been done long ago. For one it would be a much safer place to walk and cycle rather than being on the main roads.

great point I can't believe it when for example I see people taking an evening stroll on the hard shoulder of the claremorris knock bypass - only a matter of time before someone gets wiped out in broad daylight.

Esroh wrote: »

+ 1 as they have already started repossesing the South Mayo Branch Line from Claremorris to Ballinrobe so as to open as a greenway.

I didn't know that - Mayo coco are really committed to the idea of developing a good walking cycling infrastructure - Sligo Coco are less hot but getting there - but the potential to link this greenway with the Claremorris/Collooney and then into the Westport/Newport/Mulranny/Achill island one and you are talking about serious approach to cycling tourism.

PogMoThoin

It might also stop the farmers fencing it off and getting squatters rights to it. When I was Young I used often walk the line from Charlestown to Curry often while out shooting, lots of farmers had tried to lay claim to sections of it.

westtip

PogMoThoin wrote: »

It might also stop the farmers fencing it off and getting squatters rights to it. When I was Young I used often walk the line from Charlestown to Curry often while out shooting, lots of farmers had tried to lay claim to sections of it.

Well to listen to DOT they reckon they have fenced it all off - but there are places where poeple have been using part of the railway as their garden or driveway - and this encroachment will continue - something needs to be done pretty soon with parts of the line - it is pretty much in tact from Claremorris to Charlestown so if Mayo Coco got the project moving there shouldn't be too many problems, but there are bound to be objectors along the way.....always is.

westtip

few updates on the Mayo sligo greenway campaign:

Over 750 friends on Facebook now go to http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.p...00001773703036 to become a friend.

~Some interesting stuff appearing in local media some pro the idea and one or two pieces anti and one great articl int he national press all worth a read:

this piece in the mayo advertiser was written in reponse to a Mayo councillor who is opposed to the greenway:

http://www.advertiser.ie/mayo/article/42427

written in response to this article http://www.advertiser.ie/mayo/article/41907

piece in the independent last week which was great

http://www.independent.ie/farming/ne...s-2836821.html

this basically looked at the whole benefits of greenways to rural tourism

Finally another anti- greenway piece coming from the dinosaurs on The Western Regional council (God knows what they do for a living its another local government quango:

http://mayotoday.ie/index.php/browse...ruled-out.html

I shouldn't take to much notice of this last group - its a talking shop with no power - Leo Varadkar will be the man who makes the decision.

Anyway thats a quick update on whats been said in the papers about the great idea that is the Sligo mayo greenway way. If you cannot understand the anti-greenway sentiments you have to understand the dinosaurs who are opposing it. Usually councillors in their late 50s who have a career invested in the Western Rail corridor about which they have been to endless meetings and claimed expenses on knowing full well it will never be re-opened as a railway again.

Mickeroo

I think it's great idea. The westport to achill greenway goes through my parent's land and the benefit to the local economy from westport down to achill has been huge. It's braught loads of business to B&B's and several people have started bike rental businesses as well as opening cafes along the route, not to mention the amount of locals that have been buying bicycles since it opened. Anyone who is arguing against making more of these really is not seeing the bigger picture imho.

westtip

Mickeroo wrote: »

I think it's great idea. The westport to achill greenway goes through my parent's land and the benefit to the local economy from westport down to achill has been huge. It's braught loads of business to B&B's and several people have started bike rental businesses as well as opening cafes along the route, not to mention the amount of locals that have been buying bicycles since it opened. Anyone who is arguing against making more of these really is not seeing the bigger picture imho.

Mickeroo - great post - look did you see the Western People this week - try to get a copy read the editorial and a letter in the letters pages about this subject. The Western People supports more greenways but does not want to see the Claremorris/Collooney line greenwayed in the forlorn hope the railway will be opened - it won't Send your post in email format to the editor and tell him the railway will not open not for 40 or 50 years if ever - and a greenway will at least protect the alignment and make use of it now --- at a time when we need it most. Please try to do this we need as much public debate about this subject as possible. james.laffey@westernpeople.ie or just editor@westernpeople.ie