Green light for second major Bord na Mona Offaly cycling and walking trail

BORD na Mona has got the go-ahead from planners for a second major cycle and walkway in Offaly.

The County Council has given the green light for a 19km Offaly East Trail which includes a new bridge for pedestrians and cyclists over the Grand Canal at Coole between Daingean and Rhode.

In August last year the council granted the energy company permission for the Offaly West Trail, a 17km cycle and walkway.

Both routes, which will be linked by the existing Grand Canal greenway, will use former Bord na Mona narrow gauge rail beds and together will form part of what Bord na Mona calls the Midlands Trail Network which the company says presents a “regenerative and sustainable form of tourism”.

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A consultant engaged by Bord na Mona said the project promotes conservation and restoration to create a tourist experience that “limits environmental impact while increasing environmental awareness and sustainable tourism” with a focus on “slow” eco-tourism.

The Offaly West trail will be on Bord na Mona land in the townlands of Cloncraff or Bloomhill, Clonascra, Ballyduff, Clonaderg, Doon Demesne, Lackagh Beg, Lackagh More, Cormore and Corbeg, Corbane, Ballydaly, Kilcolgan Beg, Turraun, Leabeg, Leamore, Oughter, Derrymore, Bunakeeran, Lumcloon and Broughal.

This cycle and walkway will connect into the existing Grand Canal Way, the Offaly Way, and Lough Boora Discovery Park and there will be a new bridge across the canal in Turraun.

The Offaly East trail will link up with the existing Grand Canal Way in the townlands of Coole and Knockballyboy and will also connect with the Mountlucas Wind Farm at Clonarrow/Riverlyons and Drumcaw/Mountlucas and the Cloncreen Wind Farm amenity track in the townland of Clongarret.

Overall, the 19km east trail will pass through the following townlands - Knockballyboy, Clonad, Rathfeston, Gorteenkeel, Island, Clonarrow/Riverlyons, Drumcaw/Mountlucas, Esker Beg, Killeen, Ballyhugh, Mullalough/Cavemount, Coole, Toberdaly, Newtown, Ballycon, Esker More, Colgagh, and Clongarret.

Both proposed trails were opposed by some observers. One individual made a submission to council planners saying the bridge planned for Turraun would be “massive and completely unacceptable” while another said it “will look awful” and asked: “Is there an uglier structure in Offaly than the footbridge over the canal in Tullamore?”

The latter observer said the length of the ramp to get to the bridge deck level would be 150 metres on each side – as long as a GAA pitch.

The Offaly East Trail attracted objections from the Walsh Island Historical Group which said it failed to include four local heritage sites.

In its planning applications for the two Offaly trails, Bord na Mona said that through the Just Transition Fund, Failte Ireland has secured grant-aid to develop Regenerative Tourism & Placemaking Scheme for Ireland’s Midlands.

One critic of the proposed west Offaly trail questioned the need for yet more roads on Bord na Mona bogs, expressing scepticism about the demand for cycling infrastructure and the whole project's viability.

He said the routes developed at Boora are 30km long with another 28km at Derrinlough wind farm: “Offaly probably has more than 200 kilometres in total, and certainly far more than any other county.”

He also said the project in west Offaly would be a “ferocious waste of Just Transition money”.

The European Union Just Transition Fund was set up to lessen the economic impact of decarbonisation on counties like Offaly where the traditional peat production industries have disappeared.