East Mayo Greenway Group welcomes progress on new route

The e-tender for a design team to undertake preliminary design and route selection of the Enniskillen to Sligo route - which will eventually connect to Charlestown - and environmental reports to move this cross border project forward to planning stages have now been issued and companies are invited to express an interest.

The announcement has been welcomed by the East Mayo Greenway Group.

Michael Maye, PRO of the group said: “It is important to move these projects forward whilst the money is available.

"We really have the potential for an incredible National Greenway Network throughout Ireland in the next five years, and for the Greenways in the west of county Mayo to be connected to the wider national network via the East Mayo Greenway.

“This project has real meaning for East Mayo as it shows the commitment there is to connect Enniskillen with Sligo by greenway and this greenway in turn will connect with Charlestown via the Sligo Greenway from Collooney to Charlestown.

“We are really hopeful Mayo County Council will share the same vision as Sligo and Leitrim county councils to see the huge potential for tourism along the Atlantic Economic Corridor and to support the plans we have for the greenway from Enniskillen to Charlestown extended to Claremorris.

"The simplicity of using the closed railway route is that the route is used on license from Irish Rail if it is ever needed for a new railway in the future, similar to the licensed arrangement the Velorail at Kiltimagh where Mayo County Council has already conceded to using the route for leisure purposes.

"The East Mayo Greenway could be connected to Turlough House from Swinford, thereby opening up the entire county to Greenway connection to Enniskillen and on to the east coast.

"This could be a major breakthrough for Mayo tourism.”