Royal Canal Greenway can ‘transform’ communities

The Royal Canal Greenway, which will be officially launched later this month, has the potential to “transform the towns, villages and communities” along it.

That’s according to head of marketing of Waterways Ireland, Sharon Lavin, who was speaking to the members of Westmeath County Council’s Economic Enterprise and Tourism Strategic Policy Committee, ahead of the official launch of the greenway on March 24, which will be a virtual event due to Covid restrictions.

She told the members of the SPC that the 130km greenway, which runs from Maynooth in Kildare to Clondra in Longford, is the longest off-road cycle and walkway in the country and “will be a world class amenity for families, communities and tourists alike”.

Pointing to the success of the Western Greenway in Mayo, which attracted 45,000 visitors in its first year and added €7m to the local economy, as well as creating 38 new full-time jobs, she said the Royal Canal Greenway “is a project will transform the towns, villages and communities along the [route] and in doing so restore the health and prosperity of the region”.

With foreign holidays off the agenda for most people this summer, the Royal Canal Greenway “has a lot to offer the domestic tourist”, Ms Lavin said.

“It may not have the rugged landscape of the coast, but it runs alongside a historic canal and many pretty towns and villages with attractions such as Belvedere House.

“We know that tourists this year are clamouring over themselves to find new destinations, something different, trying to escape the crowds of the coastal hotspots. The Royal Canal Greenway has a lot to offer the domestic visitor this year and once you convince the domestic visitor, it then sells itself to the international tourist.”

Describing the greenway as an “enabling platform for innovation and enterprise”, Ms Lavin said that research has shown that most people will cycle for one or two hours before taking a break. For that reason, the canal has been broken into 13 different “journeys”.

“Part of the work we are doing is to enable the businesses on the route to work towards building packages and offers that will encourage them to stay longer.”

John Geoghegan, the chair of Mullingar Chamber of Commerce, said the pandemic had given local people a renewed appreciation for the canal and that it has “enormous potential” as a destination for domestic and foreign visitors.

Cllr John Dolan noted that people will have the option of moving on to the Old Rail Trail and going to Athlone or staying on the Royal Canal Greenway to Clondra, he also said that it is important that toilet facilities are provided along the route.

Referring to the need to provide “linkages” along the canal, director of services Barry Kehoe said that funding had been secured to extend the existing walking and cycle trail from Cullion-Levington to Scragh Bog, while funding was also secured under Just Transition to develop a link between Killucan Rathwire and the Royal Canal at Thomastown.

Work is also under way to make a link between Castletown Geoghegan, which is on the Old Rail Trail, and the Grand Canal link at Kilbeggan, which runs to the Grand Canal at Ballycommon.

SPC chair Cllr John Shaw said that link to the Royal Canal at Thomastown will be of great benefit to the people living in Killucan and Rathwire.

The greenway is to feature in a the RTE show Nationwide, which is scheduled to be broadcast on the same week of its official launch. The episode was filmed last week.