Progress on 15m slieve bloom cycle trail

Planning permission is to be sought in the coming weeks for the development of a 90km bike trail through the Slieve Bloom mountains.

If given the green light by planners in Offaly and Laois county council, the mountain bike trail would span Coillte land in both counties. It’s been estimated that an initial investment of €1.5m would be required.

Movement on the project had been slow as both an environmental impact assessment and a survey on the area’s Hen Harriers population had to be carried out.

However, with both assessments now completed, it’s expected that planning applications will be lodged within weeks.

Frank Bergin, chairperson of the The Slieve Bloom Rural Development Co-operative, says that the proposed bike trail will provide a tourism boost to the local economy, much like the Ballyhoura Bike Trails have in County Limerick.

It’s been estimated that the Ballyhoura trails are worth in the region of €1.7m every year to businesses in the north Cork, south east Limerick region.

“We expect that it will bring great economic benefit to the towns and villages of the Slieve Blooms and the wider midland region. We will be working with the local community in the next few months to ensure that we have all the necessary infrastructure in place to provide a world-class tourism product here in the Slieve Blooms”