Council says it has no plans to give Athlone’s new bridge a name

Westmeath County Council said it doesn't intend to bestow a particular name on Athlone's new greenway bridge, and that it will simply be known as the Athlone Greenway Bridge.

The council issued its response following a query from the Westmeath Independent asking if there would be a process put in place for naming the bridge.

In Galway city, a new pedestrian bridge was developed next to Galway Cathedral and opened in May of last year, three months before the opening of the bridge in Athlone.

At the end of last year, Galway City Council invited naming suggestions for its new pedestrian bridge, and more than 60 names were proposed by members of the public.

The city council ultimately decided to name the bridge ‘Droichead an Dóchais’, the bridge of hope, and a naming plaque was erected on it earlier this year.

A Westmeath County Council spokesperson told this newspaper it has no plans to initiate a similar bridge-naming process in Athlone.

"We do not propose to rename the bridge and intend that it will continue to be known as the Athlone Greenway Bridge," stated the local authority.

"As well as a critical piece of infrastructure for local communities, maximising permeability through Athlone and providing increased opportunities for active travel, this new bridge is also an iconic structure on the emerging Dublin to Galway Greenway, at the interface between east and west, and where Ireland’s first Coast to Coast Greenway crosses the mighty River Shannon.

"By retaining the name of Athlone in the title of the bridge, we will ensure that the town retains prominence in marketing and publicity activities associated with the greenway, strengthening the message that Athlone is a key visitor destination and services hub and an essential part of the greenway experience.

"We envisage that this positive exposure for the town will help to boost its growing tourism industry in the long term," the council’s response concluded.

The bridge, which was opened by then-Minister of State for Transport Jack Chambers on August 8, 2023, was developed at a cost of some €15 million.

The 104-metre long bridge officially completed the 108km greenway linking Athlone with Maynooth and, in time, it is scheduled to be part of the national greenway from Dublin to Galway.