€30,000 to upgrade three Mayo walking and hiking trails

FUNDING of €30,000 has been announced for upgrade works to three walking and hiking trails in Mayo.

The funding is being provided to resurface, re-route and improve outdoor trails to benefit local communities, tourists, walkers and hikers alike.

The Mayo projects, which are each receiving €10,000, are as follows.

Clogher Loops - enhancement works: Remove concrete seating and replace with long-lasting plastic seating, strengthen 500m of existing track to prevent degradation and replace fencing.

Croagh Patrick Heritage Trail - trail improvements: Re-route current trail off road on an existing overgrown track into Brownhall Wood to provide a more scenic walk and improve safety of the trail.

Western Way - trail improvements: Replace rotten wooden bridge with galvanised bridge.

Welcoming the allocations, Deputy Michael Ring explained: “Under the Walks Scheme, funding is provided to farmers and other landholders to maintain the trails that travel through their land. Funding is also provided to local development companies for the management of the scheme and the upkeep of the trails.

“Walking trails are hugely important assets for a local community so it is vital that we constantly try to protect and maintain them as best we can.

“Outdoor recreation tourism is a growing sector and it has the potential to have major economic knock-on benefits for our rural towns and villages.”