‘Greenway would have huge benefits for Shannonbridge’

The possibility of the Athlone to Galway Greenway taking in part of Offaly, by passing through the village of Shannonbridge, is something a local community group wants to help make a reality.

"The evidence is there up and down the country on (the positive impact of) Greenways," said Vincent D'Arcy of Shannonbridge Action Group.

"Attracting a national Greenway into the main street of the village would have huge benefits for us, in terms of the visitor numbers and attractions that we can offer."

A five-week online public consultation on the five potential route corridors for the long-awaited Athlone to Galway leg of the national Dublin to Galway cycleway is currently underway, and will continue until March 1.

One of the route corridor options for the cycleway would see it travel from Athlone, west of the Shannon, to Shannonbridge village and onward to Portumna, before continuing in one of two potential directions to reach Galway.

Another option would see the cycleway route from Athlone come relatively close to Shannonbridge before turning away from the village to head northwards toward Ballinasloe.

Vincent said the Shannonbridge Action Group would be making a submission to the cycleway project team to call for the selection of the route that directly incorporates the village. He's also calling on the council, and Offaly residents, to back the possible selection of this route.

"We'll be calling on Offaly County Council to make a submission and to advocate for the Greenway route coming into the heart of Shannonbridge. That's our plan, and we would call on the people of Offaly to get behind the idea of the Greenway route coming into the county.

"It's a national product that's being developed, and our position is that it really should come into Offaly," he said on Wednesday.

A document prepared by Shannonbridge Action Group suggested that, should the Greenway reach the village, it would like to see the route "travel past the children's playground towards the ESB power station, at which point the route will approach the disused ESB building; The Dalton Centre, the proposed location of the Clonmacnoise and West Offaly Railway and Historical Museum."

Vincent added that the Shannonbridge area had lots of attractions to potentially offer Greenway users including Clonmacnoise, the West Offaly Railway, and links with other Greenway developments such as the Grand Canal Greenway at Shannon Harbour.

The public consultation process to help choose a route corridor for the Athlone to Galway cycleway has attracted significant interest to date, with over 1,000 visits to the online consultation portal during its first week.

Project coordinator, Michael Kelly, said there was a great deal of flexibility within the route corridor options that were recently unveiled.

"If we get a huge opposition from private landowners to one particular corridor, and get a huge welcome on another one, that is going to influence things," he said.

The development of the cycleway was paused six years ago due to objections from farmers and other landowners who may have been impacted, particularly in East Galway.

Mr Kelly said the cycleway team was keen to work with landowners on the specifics of any potential route that might be chosen, and was hoping to reach voluntary, rather than compulsory, purchase agreements for any private land that may be required.

The public consultation on the route corridor options will continue at galwaytoathlonecycleway.com until March 1, and bookings for phone or virtual meetings can be made through the website.

A preferred route corridor for the project is expected to be decided by the middle of this year.