Greenway protest letter to be handed in to Mayo County Council

A GROUP opposed to the preferred route option of the controversial Westport to Murrisk Greenway are to hand in a letter outlining their opposition to Mayo County Council.

The Belclare to Murrisk Committee who oppose the preferred route option are to hold a protest outside the offices of Mayo County Council in Castlebar on Monday where they will hand in letters of protest against the proposed Greenway route.

The committee claims that they will have approximately 260 letters of protest signed by local residents and landowners in the Murrisk area outlining their opposition to the route and the CPO of land for the project.

The Murrisk Greenway project from Belclare to Murrisk is being developed by Mayo County Council in conjunction with Transport Infrastructure Ireland. The preferred route option will see the Greenway go off road from Aughavale Cemetery via the townlands of Cloonagh, Kiladangan and Deerpark towards Murrisk and will cut through land at the foot of Croagh Patrick.

READ: Minister Kevin Moran turns sod for construction commencement of the Crossmolina Flood Relief Scheme

A spokesperson for the Belclare to Murrisk Committee told The Mayo News that they are holding the protest at Áras an Chontae to highlight the level of opposition to the Greenway route.

“There has been a lot of propaganda leveled online that the vast majority of landowners along the preferred route option are in favour of the route which is not the case. Nobody is in favour of it as it is and absolutely nobody will be allowing their land to be CPO'd to make way for this Greenway.

“The people along the route are in favour of a Greenway but along the main road [R335] to Louisburgh. It makes sense to locate it along the road instead of up a mountain and going through people's land,” the spokesperson said.

Those who favour developing the Greenway along the R335 point out that Mayo County Council received funding in 2019 to bring the Greenway from Westport to Murrisk along the main road to Louisburgh.

However, Mayo County Council pointed out that since then the TII have taken over the delivery of Greenways and the standards involved are different. Last week, €200,000 was allocated by the Government for the development of the Clew Bay Greenway from Belclare to Murrisk.

The decision on whether to approve the preferred route option is likely to be made by the seven councillors in the Westport/Belmullet Municipal District. Three of the Westport-based councillors have voiced their objection to the route with only Fine Gael councillor Peter Flynn supporting the option.

In a post on Facebook during the week, Cllr Flynn dismissed the practicality of bringing the Greenway along the R335 and the local councillors will have to act for the greater good for the area.

“As politicians and people, our aspiration should always be to act in the greater good, ensuring that we leave our surroundings in a better state than we found them for future generations. This principle is especially important during 2025—a year that will shape the future destiny of the wider Clew Bay Area and its islands. The decisions made now will have lasting consequences, not just for those who live and work here today, but for the generations to come.

“We need leadership, both political and civic, to rise to the occasion. It is not about short-term gains and vested interests but about long-term vision.

“As discussions and decisions unfold in 2025, let’s hope that wisdom prevails. Let’s ensure that whatever path we take secures the future of Clew Bay and makes it a better place for current and future generations to live, to work and to enjoy.

“I am not optimistic that the decision will be positive but I hope I'm wrong and that common sense leads the way,” he stated on Facebook.