Connemara Chamber of Commerce welcomes the recent announcement (December 2021) and allocation of €3,050,000 towards the development of the Connemara Greenway.
Connemara Greenway funding announced by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII):
- Clifden to Recess: €1,900,000
- Derrigimlagh – Clifden – Kylemore Abbey: €550,000
- Galway to Moycullen: €600,000
The Chamber has for many years focused on getting a safe off-road walking and cycling path from Clifden to The Signature Discovery Point at the Marconi radio station at Derrigimlagh. The Marconi Station itself now receives over 30,000 (visitors and locals alike) per annum – all mainly by car. The recent allocation of €550,000 for this Connemara Greenway extension will bring even more visitors but by foot and bike.
The support of landowners has been invaluable in providing access to their property that allowed us to identify a satisfactory solution and following lengthy discussions, an in principle agreement has been reached with the National Parks and Wildlife Service to permit the development that will involve a raised boardwalk on a special area of conservation.
We have concluded environmental assessments and are awaiting a pre planning meeting with Galway County Council before submitting a planning application. We would like to thank all of the landowners for their support and permissions for the project.
The walk will not only provide off road links between the Clifden greenway and Derrigimlagh but will also provide spectacular views of the Roundstone Bog Complex and the Twelve Bens. This project has been identified by Galway County Council as a priority and is included in their funding schedule for assessment.
In regard to connecting Clifden to Kylemore Abbey via a similar trail – we anticipate the recent allocation of funding will move this on also. This greenway extension is significantly larger than the Derrigimlagh one but equally as exciting and we look forward to significant progress on this during 2022.
For the Derrigimlagh leg, we anticipate that when planning permission is approved that Government funding will be forthcoming to develop this project in the near future. We look forward to bringing you more good news shortly.
Project Lead: Chris Shanahan [email protected]
