Wild Atlantic Greenway

Wagon360

I’ve been a keen cyclist for most of my life. Over the last two years I took part in a number of cycling challenges to raise funds for charity. I’ve cycled parts of the Wild Atlantic Way around Inishowen and the West Donegal coast and from Achill to Leenan.

The routes are of course well worth doing but are for the most part along busy main roads. Having cycled in Holland and Belgium where for the most part they have segregated cycle routes along roads it occurred to me that the Wild Atlantic Way would benefit greatly from a separate cycle route or Greenway where possible to make this fabulous route a real attraction for casual cyclists.

Putting a segregated cycling route on the Wild Atlantic Way would give Ireland a world class cycling route. What’s not to like?

bilbot79

100% agree. If you think about the scenery between mulranny and Newport, Ireland could be like Mallorca, especially if you could get some decent hills into the route.

trellheim

What about the old railway line out to Valentia

Wagon360

trellheim wrote: »

What about the old railway line out to Valentia

Yes I was thinking of that as well. The beginnings of the whole Greenway are there, if you include Achill to Westport, Clifden to Galway and of course Farranfore to Valentia. This would be a very long term project but would create a fantastic legacy for Irish tourism.

Del.Monte

Somebody's been there already but I don't know if anything apart from a photo opportunity has happened.

http://irishcycle.com/2014/06/23/disused-kerry-railway-to-be-signed-over-to-council-for-greenway/

L1011

As the N56 is upgraded, an off road cycle track is being built beside it (sometimes it's the old road if the road was drastically realigned)

I believe the same is happening on the N59 and the Kerry ring that I can't remember the number of.

marno21

L1011 wrote: »

As the N56 is upgraded, an off road cycle track is being built beside it (sometimes it's the old road if the road was drastically realigned)

I believe the same is happening on the N59 and the Kerry ring that I can't remember the number of.

The N86 is presently being upgraded between Camp and Dingle and includes cycle lanes on both sides. The present realignment at Ballynasare near Lispole is a serious improvement on before and the cycle lanes are a significant enhancement to what was a lethal stretch of road for cyclists.

The South Kerry Greenway between Glenbeigh and Renard near Valentia is at route selection at the minute

http://www1.kerrycoco.ie/home3/roadsmain/projects-schemes/south-kerry-greenway-route-drawings-for-public-consultation/

Bikeface

I love this idea!!!!!

I have cycled some parts of the Atlantic corridor and the roads can be very dangerous.

With the Atlantic corridor being so successful it seems almost crazy that this hasn't been considered already!

riddlinrussell

This sounds like a fantastic idea, theres already several sections where greenways are planned, or there is a potential route, linking those sections together while keeping close enough to the coast would be a big task, but I'd say well worth it. If you want to see some of the potential 'fully separated' greenways along the west coast check out the Greenway Map of Ireland.

I'd say a lot of the route would need to be done on road, ideally with a good kerb separated cycle path as 'new' greenways are uncharted waters for Ireland. I'd definitely suggest it had 'long' and 'short' options, with 'long' following the coast as much as possible and 'short' providing a shortcut across each peninsula, especially in the southwest.

voz es

Would love to see an Atlantic Greenway, imagine the scenery

Carawaystick

riddlinrussell wrote: »

I'd say a lot of the route would need to be done on road, ideally with a good kerb separated cycle path as 'new' greenways are uncharted waters for Ireland. I'd definitely suggest it had 'long' and 'short' options, with 'long' following the coast as much as possible and 'short' providing a shortcut across each peninsula, especially in the southwest.

Crossing the top of the peninsulas also gives the loop of the peninsula as a standalone option

riddlinrussell

Carawaystick wrote: »

Crossing the top of the peninsulas also gives the loop of the peninsula as a standalone option

Indeed! You could have 'The Loop Head Loop'!

riddlinrussell

riddlinrussell wrote: »

Indeed! You could have 'The Loop Head Loop'!

I foresee conversations such as....

- Hey, got any suggestions for somewhere good for a cycle?

- You should go loop d' loop

- I should wha?!?