The Waterford Greenway, also known locally as the Déise Greenway, is a route on a former railway track in County Waterford, Ireland, used for cycling and hiking. It opened in March 2017, on what was originally the Mallow/Waterford railway line, and forms part of EuroVelo 1 route.[3]
| Waterford Greenway | |
|---|---|
 Kilmacthomas Viaduct, part of the Waterford Greenway | |
| Length | 46km[1] |
| Location | County Waterford, Ireland |
| Use | Hiking, cycling |
| Maintained by | Waterford County Council (operator), CIÉ (owner)[2] |
The Waterford Greenway features 11 bridges, three viaducts and a 400-metre tunnel and runs between the city of Waterford, Mount Congreve, Kilmeaden, Kilmacthomas, and Dungarvan, and passes along part of the Copper Coast. At 46 km, it is Ireland's longest greenway.[2] The Waterford and Suir Valley Railway shares the route along the banks of River Suir.
In December 2017, it was announced that over 250,000 had used the new route since it opened in March.[4]
Proposed extension
editIn July 2020, funding was announced for a feasibility study to investigate extending the greenway towards Mallow along the former Waterford-Mallow railway line.[5] This initial feasibility study is due to examine the possibility of an 38.5 kilometre extension between Dungarvan and Ballyduff near the border with County Cork.
In 2022, the possibility of linking the greenway with the Suir blueway and the under-construction Cork Greenway was examined.[6][7][8]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Waterford Greenway". Visitwaterfordgreenway.com. VisitWaterford. Retrieved 12 November 2017.
- ^ a b "Ireland's longest greenway opens in Waterford". RTÉ News. RTÉ News. 25 March 2017.
- ^ "EuroVelo 1 Atlantic Coast Route - Republic of Ireland". eurovelo.com. European Cyclists Federation. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
EuroVelo 1 explores the wild and rugged Irish coastline [..] routes along the way including the Great Western Greenway, the Great Southern Greenway and the Waterford Greenway
- ^ "Waterford Greenway wows almost 250,000 visitors in first year". Independent.ie. Independent News & Media. 17 December 2017. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
- ^ Keyes, Dermot. "Feasibility Study To Examine Potential Waterford Greenway Extension". Waterford News and Star. Retrieved 2 July 2021.
- ^ "Councils to Examine Feasibility of New Greenway Linking Mallow and Dungarvan". Cork County Council.
- ^ "Plan to unite three of Ireland's most popular greenways could attract 1.5m walkers and cyclists every year". Independent.ie.
- ^ "Connection between Greenway and Blueway set to be examined". Waterford News and Star. 30 June 2022.
External links
edit- Official website
- Déise Greenway, A Local Campaign Group