Clonmacnoise Greenway group 'surprised and disappointed' by grant refusal
Almost 50 projects in the Midlands were recently approved for grants of €100,000 or more from the Government's Just Transition fund, but a local group set up to advance plans for an Athlone to Clonmacnoise Greenway was not among the successful applicants.
The Athlone to Clonmacnoise Greenway Group sought Just Transition funding approval for an initial phase of the proposed Greenway, and also for the longer-term development of a light rail service across the bog from Athlone to Shannonbridge.
The group said it was "surprised and disappointed" that its application had not been successful, and that it was "shocked at the way the evaluation team completely ignored the sound basis" of its application.
The response the group received last month from Lucy Pyne, of the Just Transition Fund Team, stated that its application failed to demonstrate "the need for the project in line with Just Transition Fund objectives," adding that "the impact and links to Just Transition were not clearly evident."
Ms Pyne's response went on to say that the group's "capacity to deliver the project was not demonstrated" in the application, and that evidence the land needed for the project was available had not been demonstrated.
"A financial project plan providing a breakdown of costings was not provided, and financial sustainability was not demonstrated," the Just Transition response also stated.
The Athlone to Clonmacnoise Greenway Group is chaired by Paul Mulvey and its secretary is Flan Barnwell.
A statement from Mr Mulvey, on the failure of the grant application, pointed out that Fáilte Ireland and Waterways Ireland had both identified an Athlone to Clonmacnoise Greenway as being of "of strategic importance" in the recently-published Shannon Tourism Masterplan.
The group said it had always been its intention that the work on designing and completing the project would be carried out by Bord na Móna, and that "all costs including labour costs, use of Bord na Mona machinery, corporate governance, project management and financial accountability would all be a function of Bord na Móna."
The group saw a "clear inconsistency" in the rationale for its application being rejected when Just Transition funding was granted for other similar projects such as Westmeath County Council's pedestrian and cycle link between Killucan and the Royal Canal, which was awarded €391,000.
"We requested that the council (in Westmeath) become the lead applicant for our proposal, which in our view would significantly strengthen our case, however they refused," said Mr Mulvey.
"We intend to continue to advance this proposal and we wish to emphasise that councillors in the Athlone Municipal Area have been very supportive."
Mr Barnwell, meanwhile, urged business groups in the region to get involved in helping to advance the proposed Greenway link between Athlone and the ancient monastic site.
"My feeling is that if corporate Athlone doesn't get involved with this, it's not going to happen," he said.
Separate to the Greenway group's application, Offaly County Council was last summer awarded €95,000, from the Carbon Tax Fund, for a feasibility study on a 28km 'Shannon Monastic Greenway' connecting Shannonbridge and Clonmacnoise with Athlone.
Offaly County Council is currently assessing tenders from contractors for the feasibility study, which is due to be undertaken in 2021.
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