Coillte to build mountain bike trails

Victor

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2010/0930/1224279989297.html

Coillte to build mountain bike trails

The first purpose-built mountain bike trails in Co Dublin are to be completed by the end of the year.

State forestry company Coillte will begin building some 8km of trails at Ticknock Forest in the Dublin Mountains in the next fortnight. The scheme will cost €100,000 and is funded by the Dublin Mountain Partnership.

http://www.coillte.ie/aboutcoillte/news_room/latest_news/coillte_announces_construction_of_first_mountain_bike_trails/

Coillte announces construction of first mountain bike trails

Wednesday 29th September 2010: Coillte has today announced it is to construct the first purpose built and sustainable Mountain Bike Trails at its Ticknock Forest over the coming months, on behalf of the Dublin Mountains Partnership (DMP).

This €100,000 investment in outdoor recreation infrastructure on Coillte property will be available to use free of charge to the public and is being funded by the Dublin Mountains Partnership.

The DMP was set up in May 2008 to improve the recreational experience for users of the Dublin Mountains, while recognising the objectives of the various landowners. The partner organisations are Coillte, South Dublin County Council, Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council, Dublin City Council, National Parks and Wildlife Service and the Dublin Mountains Initiative.

Daithi de Forge, from Coillte’s Recreation Team, designed the trails and said:
"The trails at Ticknock will be fast and fun for those with some level of experience already. There will be large rock slabs, big grade reversals, technical ‘twisty bits’ and fast flowing descents with plenty of opportunity to get airborne!”

“The design of the 8 km of trails will appeal to a broad range of mountain bikers and will be graded from moderate to very challenging,” he added.

Bill Murphy, Coillte’s Head of Recreation said:
“Coillte is the largest provider of outdoor recreation in Ireland. We have already built and now manage Ireland’s premier mountain bike trails networks in the Wicklow Mountains at Ballinastoe, in the Ballyhoura Mountains on the Cork Limerick border and at Derroura in Connemara. This latest project illustrates our ability to deliver projects such as these in an environmentally sustainable way to continue to attract people to nature.”

The company appointed to construct the trail is Metro Building Contractors Ltd, from Wexford. Paul Duffy, Managing Director of Metro Building Contractors Ltd expects that the trail will be open to the public by the end of 2010.

And don’t forget….
NATIONAL TRAILS DAY 2010 in this Sunday 3rd October with events on all over the country. It is a celebration of Ireland’s wonderful variety of trails and a chance for everyone to enjoy some of our most beautiful countryside, forests, mountains and lakes.

The Department of Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs, Coillte, the National Trails Office, Fáilte Ireland and the Countryside Access and Activities Network (CAAN) are all involved in this event so visit www.nationaltrailsday.ie for details of an event near you.

ENDS


Note to Editors.

Coillte

Coillte is a commercial company operating in forestry, land based businesses, renewable energy and panel products.

Coillte’s core purpose is to enrich lives through innovative and sustainable management of natural resources.

The company employs approx 1,000 people and was established in 1988. It owns over 445,000 hectares of land, about 7% of the land cover of Ireland

www.coillte.ie



Dublin Mountains Partnership

The Dublin Mountains Partnership (DMP) was set up in May 2008 with the ultimate aim of improving the recreational experience for users of the Dublin Mountains, whilst recognising the objectives and constraints of the various landowners.

The partner organisations involved are Coillte, South Dublin County Council, Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council, Dublin City Council, National Parks and Wildlife Service and the Dublin Mountains Initiative.

www.dublinmountains.ie

c montgomery

Excellent stuff:)

Even tho i live in cork and will prob never use these trails its great to see coillte investing in MTB trails. It can only lead to a increase in the popularity of the sport and hopefully the building of more trails (all of which should be in cork:D:D).

Idleater

c montgomery wrote: »

(all of which should be in cork:D:D).

Ballyhoura too far into limerick is it?
:P

cantalach

Why is this being posted in the cycling forum?

seamus

Coillte has spent the last 20 years erecting "no mountain biking" signs which have been ignored by everyone, so it's great to see them embrace this use of the land rather than hate it. And I can actually cycle to ticknock, it's only 20 minutes away...

Tenzor07

seamus wrote: »

Coillte has spent the last 20 years erecting "no mountain biking" signs which have been ignored by everyone, so it's great to see them embrace this use of the land rather than hate it.

I agree there, its great to see mountain biker's finally been given proper legal trails in the Dublin mountains, about 17 years ago those signs popped up everywhere banning mountainbikers from coilte trails which meant only intrepid bikers took to the hills and it was extremely rare to meet another biker on the trails.
And its just in time, Ballinastoe is becoming a victim of its own success and can be quite crowded and is dangerous in places due to the amount of wear and tear and the general lack of trail maintenance by Coilte. Having two trail centre's will give the choice for all bikers around Dublin...

Idleater

cantalach wrote: »

Why is this being posted in the cycling forum?

Because the trails can be used by CycloCrossers... :rolleyes:

Victor

cantalach wrote: »

Why is this being posted in the cycling forum?

You have to get up the mountain somehow.

Ant

seamus wrote: »

Coillte has spent the last 20 years erecting "no mountain biking" signs which have been ignored by everyone, so it's great to see them embrace this use of the land rather than hate it. And I can actually cycle to ticknock, it's only 20 minutes away...

When my brother and I started mountain biking years ago, those signs were very useful indicators when searching for good trails. At the time, we figured the trails must be good if Coillte had bothered to put up a sign. I was always under the impression that the signs were there to reduce or possibly eliminate their public liability if someone was to injure themselves while mountain biking.

c montgomery

nereid wrote: »

Ballyhoura too far into limerick is it?
:P

Way too far, its over 40 minutes away:p:p