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Coming soon: the Irish coast-to-coast route

30 Jun 2014 leisure Ireland
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England’s coast-to-coast cycle route opened 20 years ago; Scotland’s equivalent opens this year. Now Ireland is getting in on the act with a 180-mile route from Dublin to Galway.

The Irish Coast-to-Coast will be a ‘greenway’ – that is, predominantly traffic-free. The latest section, from Ashtown to Castleknock in north-west Dublin, opened this week. Consisting of an improved towpath along the Royal Canal, the path cost €2m for 1.5 miles of route and is the third section to be opened.

Leo Varadkar, Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport, explained that the route would be built stage-by-stage.

“Instead of trying to build the entire route in one go, at a time when resources are very limited, I have taken an incremental approach by developing each section as funding becomes available. Although we still have a huge task in finishing the rest of the project, I’m really looking forward to walking, cycling or running along the entire route between Dublin and Galway when it’s finally completed.”

Most of the eastern section follows the towpath of the Royal Canal; then, from Mullingar, the route will follow a disused railway for 25 miles to Athlone. This railway section is set to open next year. Then, from Athlone, the route will run through Shannonbridge, Loughrea, Craughwell, Clarinbridge and Oranmore to the Galway coast.

Unlike Britain, Ireland has no official national cycle network. Several local authorities have created their own circular leisure routes, and Sustrans’ UK National Cycle Network crosses the border in numerous places. Just as the English C2C formed the start of Britain’s NCN, the Irish Government sees this new route as the foundation for Ireland’s own cycle network.

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