Taoiseach’s intervention sought for Greenway

by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie

AN INTERVENTION from the Taoiseach into “an ongoing impasse” at a section of an identified route for the Lough Derg Greenway project has been sought.

Speaking in the Dáil on Tuesday, Clare TD, Michael McNamara (IND) urged the Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar (FG) to directly intervene on the claimed impasse at O’Briensbridge which has the potential to delay the greenway linking Limerick City and East Clare.

Stretching 43km, the Greenway is viewed as having massive tourism potential for East Clare. The Clare Echo understands that officials from Waterways Ireland will hold a meeting with ESB counterparts in early April in Ardnacrusha to try progress the scheme.

Ecological constraints along the River Shannon, Parteen Basin and Lough Derg have seen sections along the riverbanks and shorelines ruled out for inclusion in the Greenway.

Waterways Ireland, Clare County Council and Limerick City and County Council are currently engaged in the phase 2 option selection process. All reasonable feasible route corridors will be examined and their costs, benefits and effects on the environment will be interrogated to identify a preferred option, the Taoiseach outlined.

Discussions continue on the preferred route option but Deputy McNamara spoke of his concern at a potential “pinch-point” at O’Briensbridge. “Waterways Ireland has developed a greenway running from Dublin to Athlone. It will continue from Athlone to Galway, dipping south through Portumna, Woodford, Gort and Kinvara and across the Slieve Aughty mountains,” he said during Leader’s Questions.

Potential to walk or cycle along a greenway from Dublin to Kerry via east Clare was cited by Deputy McNamara as he referenced