The new Kerry greenway will be perfect for cycling. It will follow the old Great Southern & Western line where possible, starting at Renard Point on the coast.
Plans for a Ring of Kerry cycleway have advanced, with Kerry County Council beginning a pre-application consultation with Bord Pleanála
Having seen the runaway success of the Waterford Greenway, the public and local officials in Kerry are looking to build a similar scheme in ‘The Kingdom’.
The proposal as it stands is for a 32km cycleway starting in Renard Point, which is near Caherciveen and from where the Valentia Island ferry departs.
And the Greenway would stretch all the way to Glenbeigh; covering an area of natural beauty.
The plan is for a 3 metre wide paved surface, making it perfect for cycling.
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There would be grass verges either side. And in a bid to satisfy landowners, the Greenway would be fenced off.
Like the Waterford Greenway, the proposed Kerry Greenway would also follow the path of a disused rail line.
Last operational in 1960, the disused Great Southern & Western line ran from Farranfore and Valentia Island harbour.
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One feature of the cycleway project in Waterford, which opened just over a year ago, is that many of rail features were retained.
These include viaducts and tunnels; some of which needed to repaired but add great character to the greenway there.
And in Kerry it is planned that the rail-related features also be retained; a welcome development.
Furthermore, because the greenway in Kerry is expected to provide a major tourism boost, facilities will be added along the route.
For now, these include cafes, toilets and car parks. But in time a mini industry will likely spring up around the Ring of Kerry Greenway.
However, some parts of the development may prove contentious as many landowners do not what to sell strips of their land that the greenway will traverse.
Indeed, between 150 and 200 landowners had so far resisted the council’s efforts to buy the land. And this may result in compulsory purchase orders.
That is something that has the potential to create lasting bad feeling and the council will be keen to resolve that.
The local authority has begun the consultation phase with Bord Pleanála ahead of submitting an environmental impact assessment to the planning agency.
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