Mullingar - Athlone Greenway progress?

Rips · 27-05-2015 4:23pm

So we'll just stick to the roads then? Yeah, way safer, avoids all the of the problems you've listed...

I've yet to see a problem with the limited tracks that are open to horses (and walkers, and cyclists alike) with the exception of people who can't control their dogs.

I'm surprised at someone who works in the equestrian industry coming out with something like this. There are no public amenities put aside for riders, and the money and jobs that horses bring into the country.

roosterman71 · 27-05-2015 6:58pm

Rips wrote: »

I'm surprised at someone who works in the equestrian industry coming out with something like this. There are no public amenities put aside for riders, and the money and jobs that horses bring into the country.

There are - fields

pointer28 · 27-05-2015 7:43pm

Rips wrote: »

So we'll just stick to the roads then? Yeah, way safer, avoids all the of the problems you've listed...

I've yet to see a problem with the limited tracks that are open to horses (and walkers, and cyclists alike) with the exception of people who can't control their dogs.

I'm surprised at someone who works in the equestrian industry coming out with something like this. There are no public amenities put aside for riders, and the money and jobs that horses bring into the country.

Like I said, it only takes one bad one to ruin it for everyone else.

Riding a horse on a shared road is fine until one idiot boy racer decides it's great craic to buzz you at 40 mph, even though 95% of drivers are sensible.

Likewise

Walking on a greenway is fine until some idiot brings a dangerous 3 year old which they can't control, which then gets spooked by some other idiots dog who they can't control either. The horse gets loose, gallops off and kills a child half a mile up the greenway around a bend who had nothing to do with the original incident, even though 95% of horse riders are sensible.

Or, even if a horse rider is completely sensible and riding a "bombproof" horse, that doesn't mean that some other asshat won't cause your horse to spook and cause an accident.

I've witnessed a particularly bad accident where someone was hit by a galloping horse, which got spooked and loose by no fault of it's rider.

I'm not anti horses, I just don't think a shared greenway is the place for them.

Rips · 27-05-2015 8:07pm

roosterman71 wrote: »

There are - fields

Public fields, yeah?

Sure why are they spending the money on the greenway, when you can take your bike for a spin around Tesco carpark? :rolleyes:

Redbishop · 27-05-2015 8:24pm

Rips wrote: »

Public fields, yeah?

Sure why are they spending the money on the greenway, when you can take your bike for a spin around Tesco carpark? :rolleyes:

The thing is though, they are spending it on the greenway for pedestrians and cyclists. It might not be to your liking but that is their policy. It is intended to attract the cycle tourist market too and will bring new revenue in to a lot of areas it runs through because of this also. I see where you are coming from btw as there are very few tracks available for leisure motorcycling or horseriding. So not to rain completely on your parade I think you have a point in your comment. But this track is not for either of your talked of modes of travel.

Lenin Skynard · 27-05-2015 9:20pm

Just a little Samba wrote: »

They aren't moving them anywhere, they are providing additional infrastructure for recreational cyclists and walkers.

Bikes will still be on the roads, thankfully.

Ah right. I completely misunderstood there. I literally thought that they were banning bicycles from the roads and moving them to the railway line. Thanks for clearing it up.

demanufactured wrote: »

We might make it to Moate this time if we use bikes

I wouldn't make it past Sarsfields. It's going to have to be a carry!

nice_guy80 · 28-05-2015 1:50pm

Horses are banned from all Coillte land, national parks and other countryside tracks

they dig up the ground and cause a lot of damage to soft tracks.

Rips · 28-05-2015 3:09pm

nice_guy80 wrote: »

Horses are banned from all Coillte land, national parks and other countryside tracks

they dig up the ground and cause a lot of damage to soft tracks.

No they are not. You can ride in most Coillte forestry with a permit, especially if it is your local forestry.

Also there are three National Way-marked Trails open to riders, unfortunately they are all based in Wicklow.

National Parks? Are you really trying to insist that you can't ride horses in Connemara National Park?

John_Rambo · 28-05-2015 5:18pm

If it's like the Mayo Greenway I'd imagine the surface won't be suitable for horses. It's unsealed, not sure what it's made off, but it's gravelly and I'd imagine horses hooves would tear it up.

Great thread, good to see the progress.

nice_guy80 · 29-05-2015 10:33pm

Rips wrote: »

No they are not. You can ride in most Coillte forestry with a permit, especially if it is your local forestry.

Also there are three National Way-marked Trails open to riders, unfortunately they are all based in Wicklow.

National Parks? Are you really trying to insist that you can't ride horses in Connemara National Park?

permits
how many people actually get them?

Rips · 30-05-2015 5:54pm

nice_guy80 wrote: »

permits
how many people actually get them?

Any local riding establishments near good forestry trails for a start, organisations like Trec Ireland, hunts and plenty of individuals (like me!)

You can usually pay any equestrian centre that holds a commercial use permit about €10 to ride on their pass with your own horse. They give riders marked tabards to identify themselves. The closest establishments like this to me personally though are 1 and 2 hours towing distance.

Redbishop · 30-05-2015 10:36pm

Rips wrote: »

Any local riding establishments near good forestry trails for a start, organisations like Trec Ireland, hunts and plenty of individuals (like me!)

You can usually pay any equestrian centre that holds a commercial use permit about €10 to ride on their pass with your own horse. They give riders marked tabards to identify themselves. The closest establishments like this to me personally though are 1 and 2 hours towing distance.

Do you hunt?

wicklow rider · 05-06-2015 5:13pm

Rips wrote: »

So we'll just stick to the roads then? Yeah, way safer, avoids all the of the problems you've listed...

I've yet to see a problem with the limited tracks that are open to horses (and walkers, and cyclists alike) with the exception of people who can't control their dogs.

I'm surprised at someone who works in the equestrian industry coming out with something like this. There are no public amenities put aside for riders, and the money and jobs that horses bring into the country.

I was in an accident where my old lady was nearly run over on the road. A car can way to close and going at least 80 ever though my mum was about 20 metres if front of me. Wearing a yellow beat and signaling them to slow. My mare bolted and I can't blame her. If I was a small child or a beginner.....

demanufactured · 13-06-2015 1:05pm

Mearings · 13-06-2015 3:19pm

Is the compacted sand & gravel the final surface?

demanufactured · 13-06-2015 5:23pm

I'd hope not....

Just a little Samba · 13-06-2015 5:27pm

So is it only paved from Moate to Garrycastle so far?

demanufactured · 13-06-2015 5:29pm

Mullingar to Gary castle...

Just a little Samba · 13-06-2015 5:33pm

demanufactured wrote: »

Mullingar to Gary castle...

Ah that unpaved rail line had me confused. Thought it was from Moate onwards. Where is it?

demanufactured · 14-06-2015 2:23am

Athlone.

Dizzyme · 10-07-2015 12:47am

Is there a website that shows the plans and progress of this ?

It will be a great asset to the region and definitely increase the tourism opportunities. I wonder will the surface be suitable for cycling on with a road bike with narrow tyre's ?

veryangryman · 10-07-2015 7:31am

The route from Athlone to Galway is unclear. Would one assume that it is to be on the R446 (old N6) from the Shannon onwards?

nice_guy80 · 10-07-2015 10:50am

veryangryman wrote: »

The route from Athlone to Galway is unclear. Would one assume that it is to be on the R446 (old N6) from the Shannon onwards?

you'd think that
that road is very quiet since the motorway went in
I've a feeling that the route will go from Ballinasloe to Athenry via New Inn as it is more direct route

monument · 11-07-2015 4:47pm

veryangryman wrote: »

The route from Athlone to Galway is unclear. Would one assume that it is to be on the R446 (old N6) from the Shannon onwards?

nice_guy80 wrote: »

you'd think that
that road is very quiet since the motorway went in
I've a feeling that the route will go from Ballinasloe to Athenry via New Inn as it is more direct route

The R446 is not suitable for a greenway.

It would even be hard to make it suitable as long-distance segregated route for utility cycling. It's not at all suitable as a greenway project aimed mainly for tourism and recreational cycling.

It could be done but by the time it would be done more people would be asking why the farm land option was not taken.

For most of the R446 to work as a segregated walking and cycling route you'd have to gut what is there, lower speeds of 50km/h or under, likely make it a local access route with no through traffic, have small or large cycle route detours for all towns and current R446 sections which are also used by N or R routes.

The development pattern of towns and one-off housing would make this hard. And you'd be left wondering if it could be made into a decent greenway route even with major changes.

The objections to such a plan from some commuters etc could make the objections to the farmland plan look small.