O’Malley opposes greenway through dog training lands

A West Mayo county councillor has said a proposed greenway extension should not go through land where dogs are trained.

Cllr John O’Malley voiced concern over a proposal from Transport Infrastructure Ireland to extend a greenway from Belclare to Roonagh, which will involve acquiring farmland which is being used to train dogs.

The Carrowholly-based councillor said the woman who trains the animals will lose her business if her field is divided by a new greenway.

Another nearby agricultural field will also be divided by the proposed new route, which will form part of the long-mooted extension to the Great Western Greenway.

Speaking at the meeting of Mayo County Council’s Roads SPC, Cllr O’Malley warned that there would be an objection to the proposed route by affected landowners.

The Independent councillor called for TII to alter the route, saying there was ‘plenty of other room for a greenway’ in other areas from Belclare to Roonagh.

“The other thing about it is that that field actually floods. And if there was a greenway there in the last month, nobody would be on it because there was two foot of water in that area,” Cllr O’Malley added.

Over €1.2 in government funding which had been allocated to extend the Great Western Greenway from Belclare to Roonagh had to be paid back by Mayo County Council in 2021 after it emerged the council drew down money for projects it falsely claimed were started or completed.

All new greenway projects are now overseen by TII.

Construction of the proposed extension to the Great Western Greenway is not expected to commence until 2028.