New cycling greenway, costing €19 million, just became a reality

A new greenway project, which will be perfect for cycling and run for 23km along a disused rail line, has just gotten the go ahead from local councillors. And now Cork County Council will seek the funds to build the Midleton to Youghal (above) greenway.

Cork councilors have voted unanimously in favour of pressing ahead with the 23km Midleton to Youghal greenway in the county.

The project, which has been projected to cost €19 million, is expected to rejuvenate a section of east Cork.

And though some local people believed the railway line should be reopened instead of a greenway being built, that option has been ruled out on commercial grounds.

The rail track would take well over €150 million to upgrade the disused railway line to be able to take trains again.

And with Youghal having a population of just 7,000, spending up to €170 million on a new railway line for use by such a small number of people has been ruled out by Irish rail.

However, in something of an Irish solution to an Irish problem, the greenway is to be built in such a way that would allow for its repurposing as a rail line at some stage in the future.

This is despite the railway line, on which the new greenway will be built, having been derelict for over 30 years.

Having granted the greenway planning permission today, Cork County Council is set to apply for a share of the €53m Government greenway fund to develop it.

The blue line between Midleton and Youghal, above, marks the route of the disused rail line on which the greenway will be built.

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A council report about the proposal, which concluded it should proceed, was proposed for adoption before the council by Cllr Mary Linehan Foley who is based in Youghal.

And such is the support within Cork County Council for the new greenway that the report was unanimously agreed.

Fianna Fáil’s Cllr Chris O’Sullivan, who was among a large number of local representatives supporting the project, said it could be the start of a larger greenway network in Cork.

He believed the east Cork areas from Clonakilty to Courtmacsherry and from Skibbereen to Baltimore were also ripe for greenway development.

“It will be fantastic for east Cork,” he was of the new Midleton to Youghal facility which is now set to proceed.

“When it is completed, it will bring people in huge numbers. This is an area of recreation we need to roll out throughout the county.

“It is the way forward and I would like to see similar projects in west Cork.”

Specific design plans are yet to be drawn up. However, the greenway will be 4 metres wide and the council has already agreed to contribute 25 per cent of the cost.

Railway reopening dropped for greenway

Youghal-based Cllr Linehan-Foley, who brought the project before the council for the just approved vote, said the time for waiting was gone.

“It was always our plan, to bring the railway back to Youghal, especially when it went as far as Midleton,” she said.

“But in talks with Irish Rail, there was no way that was going to happen in the immediate future.

“We’ve been looking at a derelict site for the last 30 years, and then the greenway option came about.

"In an ideal world, we’d have the railway back, but I know it’s not going to happen, so I’m 100% behind the greenway.

“Rather than look at a derelict site for another 10 years while we wait for a railway, we’ll take the greenway project.”

While the railway line is out of service for three decades and is in ruins, some voices still called for its return rather than see a greenway on the disused track.