Davitt Greenway initiative proposed by east Mayo community group

A PROPOSAL to develop a historical, heritage and folklore greenway in the east Mayo region has been mooted by a local group.

Named the Davitt Greenway, it would run from Ballindine through to Straide, passing through Claremorris, Kiltimagh, Swinford and Meelick en route, with a spur to Charlestown.

The Davitt Greenway group published their idea on their social media last week.

In a post on the group's Facebook page, Eoin McMahon explained: “We started this group with the intention of campaigning for a limited stretch of greenway in the Kiltimagh area to provide a freely accessible and safe place for the community to exercise and get around town.

“It became apparent that there is a range of unique aspects to the east Mayo area that could potentially be of huge interest to any visitors to the greenway.

“Most signigicant amongst these is east Mayo’s role as the birthplace of the Land league and the resulting Land War, a movement which had a monumental effect in completely reshaping Irish rural society.

“The area is also absolutely packed with well preserved archaeological sites, one of the higher density areas in the country. There is a huge amount of ringforts, souterrains, holy wells, etc.

“Finally the region is home to an incredibly rich folklore and oral history tradition.

“And, so we have hit upon an idea, to develop the greenway as a historical, heritage and folklore trail based on the major locations of the Land War in east Mayo and also to experience the historical and cultural aspects that make the region unique.”

He continued: “Named The Davitt Greenway after Michael Davitt, it will run from Ballindine to Charlestown on the presently disused rail line with a link through Meelick and the Moy Valley into the Michael Davitt Museum in Straide.”

Queried about plans to reopen the line for trains, he said the proposal is for the greenway to be installed until the train line is reintroduced.

The connection to the Davitt Museum in Straide itself would be developed on low traffic roads in the area to provide cycle access and to also encompass a number of locations of interest to visitors.

Working with the resources provided by the Michael Davitt Museum, the National Folklore Collection and appeals to the local community, a further publication elaborating on the unique historical interpretation of the proposed greenway is due to be published early this year.

A submission to Cycle Connects sets out: 'One of the most unique aspects of this proposal is the opportunity to develop the historical foundation of this greenway as the major attraction. With an astute interpretation of the historical narrative, the visitor will be immersed in the history, events and outcomes of the Land War. This will allow the visitor a

deeper perspective of the history of the region and an appreciation of locations that may not have previously drawn attention such as Land League meeting sites, abandoned farmsteads and landlord estates.

'The area has a rich archeological heritage such as crannogs, souterrains, fulacht fiadh, enclosures and an exceptional amount of ringforts in good condition. The region has a uniquely rich folklore tradition, which is of particular interest to international visitors.

'All this provides significant opportunities for the interpretation of the greenway.'

Other sites of interest include museums, festivals, parks, velorail, castles, abbeys and churches, playgrounds, golfing, fishing, trekking, cultural centres, arts centres, traditional pubs and restaurants.