Allocation of €800,000 for walking and cycling trails in Mayo

AN €11 million ‘pot’ was announced today for greenway, cycleway and walkway projects across Ireland.

A sum of €800,000 of the monies allocated will go to Greenway projects in Mayo including the extension of the Westport to Achill Greenway across the bridge onto the island itself.

Also provided is €200,000 for Phase 2 of Bower’s Walk in Ballinrobe, €200,000 for the further upgrading of the Bangor Trail as well as funding for the provision of a suspended bridge linking Ballycroy and Geesala.

Also provided for is €200,000 for Phase 2 of Bower’s Walk in Ballinrobe, €200,000 for the further upgrading of the Bangor Trail as well as funding for the provision of a suspended bridge linking Ballycroy and Geesala.

At Turlough Park Museum of Country Life this morning, the Minister for Rural and Community Development, Michael Ring, spoke in glowing terms of the revenue being generated for the hospitality industry by the ever-increasing cycling and walkway network.

This is generating income for rural areas and helping to create more jobs in the hospitality and leisure sectors, he said.

The Minister stated that figures available from Fáilte Ireland reveal that in 2017, 26 per cent of all overseas tourists engaged in some level of hiking or cross-country walking.

This equates, he continued, to 2.3 million tourists, spending an estimated €1.3 billion during their stay in Ireland. A further 451,000 overseas tourists took part in cycling activities.

The €11 million being made available through a joint initiative between the Government and Fáilte Ireland will support a wide range of projects in rural Ireland.

The following are the Mayo allocations:

<span style='font-size:12pt'><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt'><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Project</span></span></b></span></span><span style='font-size:12pt'><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt'><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Description</span></span></b></span></span><span style='font-size:12pt'><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt'><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Location</span></span></b></span></span><span style='font-size:12pt'><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt'><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Amount</span></span></b></span></span>
<span style='font-size:12pt'><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span style='font-size:10.0pt'><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Great WesternGreenway</span></span></span></span><span style='font-size:12pt'><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span style='font-size:10.0pt'><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Major essential trailworks</span></span></span></span><span style='font-size:12pt'><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span style='font-size:10.0pt'><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Kilmeena &amp;Turlough</span></span></span></span><span style='font-size:12pt'><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span style='font-size:10.0pt'><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>&euro;200,000</span></span></span></span>
<span style='font-size:12pt'><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span style='font-size:10.0pt'><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Achill IslandGreenway</span></span></span></span><span style='font-size:12pt'><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span style='font-size:10.0pt'><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Bridge crossing &amp; approachworks at Achill Sound</span></span></span></span><span style='font-size:12pt'><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span style='font-size:10.0pt'><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Achill Sound toKeel</span></span></span></span><span style='font-size:12pt'><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span style='font-size:10.0pt'><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>&euro;200,000</span></span></span></span>
<span style='font-size:12pt'><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span style='font-size:10.0pt'><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>The Way - A SpiritualJourney</span></span></span></span><span style='font-size:12pt'><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span style='font-size:10.0pt'><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Construct a new Riversidetrail</span></span></span></span><span style='font-size:12pt'><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span style='font-size:10.0pt'><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Phase 1 Bowers Ballinrobe toLough Mask</span></span></span></span><span style='font-size:12pt'><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span style='font-size:10.0pt'><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>&euro;200,000</span></span></span></span>
<span style='font-size:12pt'><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span style='font-size:10.0pt'><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Bangor Trail and Erris AccessBridge</span></span></span></span><span style='font-size:12pt'><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span style='font-size:10.0pt'><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Upgrade &amp; plan suspensionfootbridge</span></span></span></span><span style='font-size:12pt'><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span style='font-size:10.0pt'><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>The BangorTrail</span></span></span></span><span style='font-size:12pt'><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span style='font-size:10.0pt'><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>&euro;200,000</span></span></span></span>