Mulranny-Newport Greenway ‘a vision of the future’

Mulranny – Newport Greenway ‘a community vision of the future’


Edwin McGreal
Tiernaur

Community spirit is alive and well in the west of Ireland. That was the view of Minister for Transport, Noel Dempsey, when he opened the Great Western Greenway (Newport to Mulranny) last Friday.
When Mayo County Council came to his department seeking funding for the project, the Minister was cynical - ‘when I saw the amount of landowners connected to the project, I thought it would take ages’.
He asked for an assurance that it would be done in 12 months. He got it and ended up with a €1.2m, 17.5km walk-way and cycle-way finished six months ahead of schedule.
“Without the commitment and goodwill of local landowners, this project would not have progressed beyond a line on a map. You have shown us the start of the project and I want to see the entire 42km route completed. We can show this project as an example of how well things can be done. It really shows that community spirit is alive and well in rural Ireland,” said Dempsey at the launch in Nevin’s of Tiernaur.
Local councillor Michael Holmes admitted he was also a cynic at the outset but was amazed by what had been accomplished.
“The first people I would like to thank are the 70 to 80 landowners who have allowed this project to go ahead despite great inconvenience and sacrifice to themselves. When Padraig Phiblin of the (Mayo County) Council first suggested this walkway, I thought he wasn’t well. When he kept on about it, I was convinced he needed treatment.
“But he persevered. Padraig has a great way with people and he achieved something that I didn’t think was possible to achieve. The council workers worked awful hard as well, often well beyond normal working hours to ensure this was completed,” said Holmes.
The Greenway runs on the old Westport to Achill railway line. It was closed in 1937. The new Greenway is the longest-off road cycling and walking trail in Ireland and is the first portion of the National Cycle Network to be constructed.