Wexford County Council announced recently that they have appointed a firm of Consulting Engineers to undertake a preliminary design and associated studies for the development of a greenway along the existing rail corridor from Rosslare to Waterford City with a link from Rosslare to Rosslare Harbour. The greenway will provide an off-road cycle and walking path from Rosslare Harbour to Waterford City taking in the towns and villages along the south of the county.
The length of the new Greenway is about 56kms and it is expected that the project will cost in the region of €12 million.
What is significant about this is that there is now an existing greenway from Waterford City to Dungarvan and there is another greenway proposed from Youghal to Midleton.
As can be seen from the map above, it not inconceivable that at some point in the future, there might well be a greenway going from the port of Rosslare in Co.Wexford all the way to Cork City. All parts of this route are likely to be a magnet for walkers, cyclists and of course runners.
The tricky parts might be between Dungarvan and Youghal and from Midleton to Cork City?
If at some stage a greenway went from Dungarvan to Lismore, Fermoy and Mallow then perhaps a new greenway could be established from Carroquin to Youghal following the Blackwater river?
Perhaps a new greenway from Midleton could go to Barrycourt Castle south of Carrigtwohill, onto Fota Wildlife Park and then down to the ferry on Great Island where people would have the option of taking in Cobh or crossing the ferry and joining the greenway at Glenbrook which would go into Cork City?
The map below shows some of the rail lines in Munster at the start of the 20th century. There are probably plenty of routes for other greenways in there if the funding can be obtained.
Links...
1) Rosslare to Waterford City Greenway... https://www.wexfordcoco.ie/community/recreational-and-community-development-projects/rosslare-to-waterford-city-greenway
2) More progress on Midleton to Youghal Greenway... http://corkrunning.blogspot.com/2017/09/more-progress-on-midleton-to-youghal.html
and http://corkrunning.blogspot.com/2017/12/cork-council-council-to-put-plans-for.html
3) What is the possibility of a Greenway from Mallow to Dungarvan?... http://corkrunning.blogspot.com/2017/06/whats-possibilty-of-greenway-from.html
Thanks for this Post John; very informative. I'm looking forward to exploring along from Dungarvan to Waterford Greenway
ReplyDeleteThe Wexford link would be a great boost for tourism in a part of County Wexford with not a lot of major employers.
ReplyDeleteObviously, any or all of the additional links mentioned above by John would be great for us runners here in Cork.