current status of dublin to galway greenway

bovis

Thanks @galwaycyclist, you are correct. I am not sure how long the Eurovelo route has been planned but I agree with you that the Dublin Galway greenway is part of the Eurovelo Route#2. I have changed the article to read as follows.

The greenway forms a critical part of the Dublin to Galway Euro Velo Route #2 and was announced as a strategic government project by Minister Leo Varadkar in 2012.

galwaycyclist wrote: »

I am afraid this part of your article is incorrect



To my knowledge official proposals for a route on the Dublin Galway corridor go back to 1998 and the designation of Eurovelo2 capitals route.

http://www.eurovelo.com/en/eurovelos/eurovelo-2

So it has been around as a European project for best part of two decades.

galwaycyclist

bovis wrote: »

Thanks @galwaycyclist, you are correct. I am not sure how long the Eurovelo route has been planned but I agree with you that the Dublin Galway greenway is part of the Eurovelo Route#2. I have changed the article to read as follows.

The greenway forms a critical part of the Dublin to Galway Euro Velo Route #2 and was announced as a strategic government project by Minister Leo Varadkar in 2012.

Well back in 1998, 1999 I was taking phone calls from Brussels to discuss it.

If it hasn't been on Government agendas in the meantime it is arguably because they have been studiously ignoring cycling as a tourism product (along with other aspects of cycling).

Carawaystick

I went down from North Co. Dublin in March.

Ashbourne, Rathoath Dunseachlin(sp?) Rathmoylon Summerhill and got to the Canal at Hill of Down.
It's a tarmac road up to the next bridge, then the route swaps bank to the south bank and its 3-5km of awful rutted track until you get to Westmeath

Then the surface is either rolled dust or tarmac until Mullingar. The rolled dust is ok, apart from a piece near the cutting approaching Mullingar where Frost has loosened it a bit.

After the canal crosses the N4, There's a few gates to open and close which are a bit annoying, but at least they're passable on any bike, unlike kissing gates.

rtmie

Carawaystick wrote: »

I went down from North Co. Dublin in March.

Ashbourne, Rathoath Dunseachlin(sp?) Rathmoylon Summerhill and got to the Canal at Hill of Down.
It's a tarmac road up to the next bridge, then the route swaps bank to the south bank and its 3-5km of awful rutted track until you get to Westmeath

Then the surface is either rolled dust or tarmac until Mullingar. The rolled dust is ok, apart from a piece near the cutting approaching Mullingar where Frost has loosened it a bit.

After the canal crosses the N4, There's a few gates to open and close which are a bit annoying, but at least they're passable on any bike, unlike kissing gates.

I was thinking of doing similar, I know the section around Hill of Down is bad, but is the section from Meath/Westmeath border onwards doable with regular road bike tyres (assume it should be if all tarmac/dust)?

Also anyone know where is the best place to access from the road if I wanted to avoid the bit around Hill of Down as mentioned by Carrawaystick?

Airplane Man

I havent heard anything lately about it but from what I gather it will be a fantastic project once fully completed all the way from Dublin to Galway.

mr spuckler

rtmie wrote: »

I was thinking of doing similar, I know the section around Hill of Down is bad, but is the section from Meath/Westmeath border onwards doable with regular road bike tyres (assume it should be if all tarmac/dust)?

Also anyone know where is the best place to access from the road if I wanted to avoid the bit around Hill of Down as mentioned by Carrawaystick?

mr spuckler wrote: »

finding the canal towpath is very easy if coming from kinnegad, just use the old mullingar road out of kinnegad for a short stretch, then follow the road that's signposted for killucan and it's a few miles down that road, the canal crosses under the road so you can't miss it
alternatively you could just follow the old mullingar road much further towards the downs and the canal crosses that road further along also (this option would shorten the spin).

i had posted this on the last page. the surface from here is fine for a road bike, i did it last year with 23s and had no problems either with grip or punctures.

bovis

Thomastown harbour outside killucan is a good place to start. Take the N4 to kinegad and look for the signs for killucan. Look out for Nanny Quinns pub. Head west. The route ia good.

Rgds
Bovis
www.DublinGalwayGreenway.Com

rtmie wrote: »

I was thinking of doing similar, I know the section around Hill of Down is bad, but is the section from Meath/Westmeath border onwards doable with regular road bike tyres (assume it should be if all tarmac/dust)?

Also anyone know where is the best place to access from the road if I wanted to avoid the bit around Hill of Down as mentioned by Carrawaystick?

Chuchote

Which way does it go? Does it use the ancient Esker Riada roads? It would be a wonderful publicity factor if it did.

HivemindXX

Deedsie wrote: »

How come the government can easily CPO land for roads and motorways but this project is being held up by landowners? Could the government not push this stronger to complete the Dublin - Galway greenway?

When you read about it you'll find that people understand that vital infrastructure with national important like roads are necessary but these cycle routes are trivial leisure things and can't be allowed to DESTROY PEOPLE'S LIVELIHOOD!

They would probably be more successful in garnering support if they put it about that a bunch of hippies are blocking the route to protect the lesser tinted snail. There would probably be articles proclaiming the vital interest of tourism and mocking the long haired weirdos in hessian trousers that are blocking it.

tomasrojo

HivemindXX wrote: »

They would probably be more successful in garnering support if they put it about that a bunch of hippies are blocking the route to protect the lesser tinted snail. There would probably be articles proclaiming the vital interest of tourism and mocking the long haired weirdos in hessian trousers that are blocking it.

Suggesting that something might upset hippies (or their like) does seem to be a successful strategy in politics. Similarly, if something might conceivably be supported by hippies (or their like), it can be dismissed by mere ridicule, with no discussion of the pros and cons.