Carlingford and The Cooley Peninsula has just been allocated 687,000 for a 6.2 km cycling coastal path led by the Louth Economic Forum Tourism and Heritage Innovative Committee.!
The announcement by Public Transport Minister, Alan Kelly, outlining a €7 million euro investment programme for cycle routes which included the Omeath to Carlingford path was greatly welcomed by project leader Kevin Woods, Innovative Committee, Louth Economic Forum.
‘This the very essence of an area working together and what can be achieved. The local landowners were extremely supportive when I approached them and understood the benefits that this would bring to the area. We are happy to continue to drive tourism projects such as these in order to get them realised. This area has the greatest potential in this country and we are very serious about presenting it as a complete tourism destination within the international marketplace with the assistance of the local community, landowners and county councils’. Kevin Woods, Carlingford and Mourne Region.
The funding will see sixteen separate cycling projects built across the country over the next two to years amounting to an additional 334 kilometres of cycleway as part of the National Cycle Network.
In his announcement, the Transport Minister acknowledged the outstanding success of the Great Western Greenway in Mayo. The Greenway cycle path which won the prestigious European Destination of Excellence this year based on its development of its disused railway line into a walk and cycle path, welcomes thousands of visitors every year. Carlingford and The Cooley Peninsula also won the European Destination of Excellence in 2008 and have been working with the Greenway through the EDEN project.
The planned cycle path will run along an old railway line between Greers Quay, Omeath and Carlingford, with future potential for this route to form part of a 32km route from Dundalk to Carlingford and on to Newry.
