Fourteen cycling projects have received up to €500,000 each under the Government's latest round of funding for outdoor adventure projects.
The funded cycling or cycling-related projects are in Kerry, Kilkenny, Leitrim, Meath, Galway, Tipperary, Donegal, Kildare, Longford, Mayo, Roscommon and Westmeath.
Kerry and Meath are the biggest winners as they are the only counties to receive funding for two projects.
In Kerry the Tralee Bay Coastal Greenway extension has been allocated €500,000 while the North Kerry Greenways have received €200,000. In Meath, the Wilkinstown to Castletown Greenway gets €500,000 and development around the Royal Canal Greenway has received just over €150,000.
In total, the cycling or cycling-related projects have received just over €4 million. That comes from a total fund of €15.5 million allocated to 84 projects across the Republic for a very wide variety of outdoor pursuit amenities; for construction, extensions or improvements.
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Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD formally announced the funding on a visit to the site of the Nobber to Castletown Greenway in Co Meath yesterday.
"This unprecedented investment will help further our ambition to support our rural economies and make rural Ireland a destination of choice for adventure tourism," she said.
"Outdoor pursuits have become an even bigger part of all of our lives over the past two years. Through this fund, we are developing and enhancing the fantastic natural amenities in our rural communities so more and more people can access and enjoy them.”
The Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme (ORIS), under which the funding has been allocated, is broken down in three categories.
Measure 1 is for small scale investments, with grants of up to €20,000 available. Measure 2 covers medium scale upgrade and new trail and amenity development, with grants of up to €200,000 awarded. Measure 3, involving grants of up to €500,000, is for large scale repair and upgrade and new strategic trail and amenity development. The funding announced yesterday was under Measure 2 and 3.
Funding of up to 90 per cent of the total approved project costs is awarded, with the additional 10 per cent to be provided from other sources. All measures under ORIS are supported by the Department of Rural and Community Development in partnership with Fáilte Ireland.
Cycling Money: How it breaks down
- €500,000 Kerry: Tralee Bay Coastal Greenway - To develop a 2.2km extension to the existing Coastal Greenway from Blennerville Village to Cockleshell Road which will link up with the Tralee-Fenit Greenway creating a 13.5km coastal loop walk and cycleway
- €499,500 Kilkenny: Kilkenny Countryside Park Cycle Swim Play Stay, from the City to the Park - The enhancement of recreational amenities along the North Kilkenny Cycle Loop
- €490,669 Leitrim: Cavan Leitrim Greenway Corgar to Drumcullion - Construction of 1.5km (3m wide) of greenway from Corgar to Drumcullion along the route of the abandoned Cavan-Leitrim Railway
- €500,000 Meath: Wilkinstown to Castletown Greenway - Development of a section of greenway between Wilkinstown to Castletown to link with the existing sections delivering 18kms of greenway from Navan to Nobber
- €500,000 Galway: Discover Shéanadh Mhacha - Development of a walking and cycling looped trail and nature trails
- €210,487 Tipperary: Thurles River Suir Pathway - Provision of an off-road walking/cycling pathway along the River Suir from Clongour Road to Turtulla Bridge/Golf Club, finishing at Lady's Well on the Mill Road
- €200,000 Donegal: Letterkenny to Burtonport Greenway - Upgrade a specific 1km section of the former Burtonport to Letterkenny rail-line to greenway standard
- €199,807 Kerry: North Kerry Greenways - Provide additional infrastructure including greenway furniture and a biodiversity trail to Abbeyfeale-Listowel and Tralee-Fenit greenways
- €87,390 Kildare: Moore Abbey Woods Pedestrian and Cycle Link - Provide a safe pedestrian and cycle link to Moore Abbey Woods from Monasterevin town
- €200,000 Longford: North Longford Rebel Trail - Granard Greenway - Construction of a 2.1km long greenway, accommodating both pedestrians and cyclists
- €200,000 Mayo: Safety Improvements Killala and Turlough Greenway - Upgrade of pathway on both the Killala & Turlough Greenways providing greater accessibility
- €152,244 Meath: Ribbontail Car park Amenity - Development of a car parking facility to include public lighting at a designated access point to the Royal Canal Greenway
- €179,730 Roscommon: Ballintubber/ Ballymoe Waterway and Looped Cycle Project - Developing the fishing, cycling, and kayaking facilities and experience along the river Suck
- €126,393 Westmeath: Boreen Bradach Looped Walk Kinnegad - Creation of a dedicated pedestrian/cycle path from L5014 along the L1015 through to the R146 in Kinnegad
