Big news for Athlone
It’s a fantastic Friday for Athlone following a major tourism funding announcement this afternoon.
Independent Alliance Deputy Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran has just announced €1m in funding for key greenway projects at Garrycastle in Athlone, and Ballymahon in Longford.
“I am delighted to have been in a position to give this project the final push it needs to bring it to fruition,” said Deputy Moran. “There is great potential here which can be developed into a significant eco-tourist project with very little investment required.”
A sum of €496,187 has been allocated for bring the cycleway from Garrycastle to the White Gates, a 2.2km extension of the Mullingar/Athlone Greenway. A further sum of €513,000 has been given for a route from Abbeyshrule to Longford Bridge, Ballymahon, a 15.2km extension to the Mullingar/Abbeyshrule Greenway.
“One of my first tasks since being elected was to get the new Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport and Alliance colleague, Deputy Shane Ross to come down and see at first hand the potential of the greenway.”
Minister Ross had attended a special meeting in Longford about the potential of the cycle route, which Deputy Moran emphasised to him that it was a project ready to go once funding was secured.
“I am convinced that the Longford/Westmeath region can become Ireland’s leading standard for cycling tourism,” Deputy Moran said. “There is no doubt that developments like the Athlone-Mullingar Old Rail Trail will help attract tourists from all over the world. Connecting towns like Athlone, Ballymahon and Mullingar through cycling lanes is a terrific way to utilise old railway corridors,” said Deputy Moran.
Minister Ross stated: “Since my appointment as Minister, I have been particularly struck by the far-reaching benefits that greenways can bring to the localities in which they are situated as is evidenced by the success of the Great Western Greenway and other projects around the country.
“These benefits are not just confined to the economic realm from jobs created and sustained through the construction of the greenways to the spend on food, drink and accommodation by those using the greenways. They also extend to the health benefits, both physical and mental, of cycling and walking and to the environmental benefits from a reduction in emissions”.
The Minister continued, “It has recently been brought to my attention that some funding awarded to projects under the National Cycle Network funding call of 2014 would not be fully drawn down in 2016. I have been examining a number of other ‘shovel-ready’ projects that would be in a position to utilise this funding in 2016 and am pleased to now announce funding for three projects in four counties that have planning permission in place.
The Minister expects the am confident the projects in Longford and Westmeath will be finished by the end of this year whilst the project in Kildare and Meath will be finished by the end of 2017.
'These projects build on the great success of the Old Rail Trail between Athlone and Mullingar and will provide the country with a long distance, multi-day, off-road cycling route that I’m sure will prove to be a great attraction for tourists, both foreign and local, and indeed anyone looking for a wonderful day out,” he concluded.