€3.4 MILLION in new investment has been allocated to develop Limerick’s network of greenways with most of the funding going to the extension of the Limerick Greenway from Rathkeale to Abbeyfeale.
The allocation to Limerick City and County Council includes €2.5 million for the further development of the Limerick Greenway and €400,000 to extend the riverside path at University of Limerick to the National Technology Park in Castletroy and onward to Annacotty.
There is initial project funding for a number of new greenway projects such as Patrickswell to Colbert Station and another linking Patrickswell to Charleville.
A further €1.7million assigned to Clare, Kerry and Tipperary County Councils will extend greenways from those local authority areas to the Limerick county boundary.
This includes €780,000 to Clare County Council for the Limerick to Scarriff Greenway and €500,000 to Kerry County Council to extend the North Kerry Greenway from Listowel to the Limerick border.
A further €300,000 has been allocated to Clare County Council for the development of a greenway from Shannon Airport to Bunratty which will eventually extend to Limerick City.
€50,000 of initial project funding was allocated to Tipperary County Council for an “East Limerick Greenway” linking Limerick City with the Suir Blueway.
Limerick Green Party TD Brian Leddin said that the development of greenways was one of his priorities since his election and this latest round of funding would help develop Limerick City as a hub for sustainable tourism as well as providing quality links for the people of the Midwest Region.
“The development of a greenway from Shannon Airport to Limerick City is critical to the economic development of the Mid-West. It will lock in Shannon Airport as a prime destination for thousands of cycle tourists from all over the world.
“Ireland’s climate makes it one of the countries with greatest potential for cycle tourism but we need to build an extensive greenway network for that to be realised. From Shannon, visitors will make their way to Limerick City initially, and then on to that extensive network of greenways in Limerick, Clare, Tipperary and beyond,” he added.
