A completed section of the greenway in Westmeath. But farmers' in Galway are protesting and they are winning.
In the face of objections from farmers to stretches of the 227km Dublin to Galway greenway cycle route, the Government has shelved one section.
The decision by Minster for Transport and Tourism Paschal Donohoe has stalled the Galway and Roscommon sections of the route from Galway to Dublin.
It means the section of the greenway from Dublin to Athlone is still on track and it will be completed by 2017.
But that long stretch from Athlone to Galway - almost half of the project - has been put on hold.
The route across the country is the Irish section of a wider project stretching across Europe from Galway to Moscow.
Many sections of the project – both in Ireland and in the other countries involved – have been completed or are underway and nearing completion.
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However, Irish farmers have objected to the route in the west and, for the time being at least, they have won the day.
The opposition has been led by the Irish Farmers’ Association and Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers' Association.
Some farmers have objected on the basis they would have to open and close gates on their land several times a day to ensure their livestock did not stray onto the path.
Others have objected to the use of their land for the project and also say it will interfere with their farming practices.
The route is intended as Ireland's contribution to a major international cycleway project linking Galway in the west to Moscow in the east.
Kevin Hannon of the ICMSA - a dairy farmer from Craughwell, Co Galway – said the proposed route of the greenway in his area would cut right through his farm.
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“It would have meant closing and opening the gates at least four times a day to get the cows milked,” he said.
“There would be inconvenience in closing gates and open gates or crossing fields; your general day to day duties would be totally disrupted.
“I would also have been responsible for clearing up the greenway after the cows had gone across it.”
He added while the route would be of benefit to tourism in the region and across the country, he believed it should follow natural boundaries rather than cut through privately owned farm land.
Another Galway farmer, Adrian Kelly, said he and his colleagues were not trying to block the project.
“We are not against a properly designed national cycling network,” he said.
“But we are opposed to a cycle route that does not take into account the agricultural practices along the way.”
Minister Donohoe said the “iconic cross-country greenway” remained a priority for the Government.
“However, we will now focus on completing the greenway from Maynooth to Westmeath, with a view to having that section completed in 2017,” he said in relation to the changed plans after farmers won the day out west.
“Funds are limited in respect of Greenways, as they are in all areas, so I have come to the decision, in the interest of delivering not just the Dublin-to-Galway Greenway but greenways throughout the country, to progress only those projects that have been properly assessed and approved and that have planning permission in place and are ready to go.”
The Galway to Dublin greenway is the pilot project in the National Cycle Network and will be Ireland’s first dedicated intercity coast to coast route for cyclists.
Research by Fáilte Ireland has suggested the cycleway would be a successful tourism product.
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