They also raised concerns over insurance, anti-social behaviour, privacy and a lack of meaningful consultation over the greenway.

But, according to project co-ordinator Michael Kelly, one of the key objectives of any greenway is to minimise severance of landholdings, while farmers will not be liable for injury or other claims associated with the greenway.

And while the preferred model for greenways is to use lands already in the undisputed ownership or control of the State, he says there are likely to be some proposed greenways that also traverse land that is in private ownership.

“But one of our key objectives is to minimise severance of landholdings by following field and ownership boundaries,” he said.

A Code of Practice, he said, which was developed in conjunction with the farming organisations and other stakeholders, published in 2021, has the main objective of trying to acquire land by voluntary acquisition and to go around farm holdings and minimise severance.

“We try to work with the preference of the farmers involved. Obviously, State-owned land is used where possible — a disused railway line can make life very easy if available.

​Working farms

“Between Athlone and Galway, just 50km of the entire 205km route, which includes a 25km spur, goes through working farms.

“That’s where the Code kicks in as to how we manoeuvre around the land or what suits the farmers concerned. We don’t want to go through the middle of a dairy farm.”

He also says that using the N67 does not meet the objectives of a greenway, due to high volumes of traffic on the road.

“It is a requirement of environmental legislation that reasonable alternatives be evaluated as part of the project, which included the N67. However, following evaluation, the N67 option does not meet the objectives of the proposed Galway to Athlone Castle greenway or the Government’s Strategy for National and Regional Greenways.”

The Galway to Athlone section, which has been in planning since 2020, has received over 11,500 submissions from the public, most of which were positive and, according to Michael, all of which have been considered and studied by the project team.

Fáilte Ireland advise that if Ireland is to be recognised internationally as a world-class activity-tourism destination, it will need to have the appropriate infrastructure in place in order to motivate international tourists, i.e. a number of national greenways and a spread of regional greenways that provide a compelling visitor experience.

For greenways to be successful, they need to be around 40km, according to the Government’s Strategy for the Future Development of National and Regional Greenways.

When the Galway to Athlone Castle greenway is completed it will provide over 205km of the 320km Dublin to Galway greenway, Ireland’s first intercity dedicated cycleway.