31 May 2023
By Mary Bermingham
mary@TheCork.ie
Senior members of the proposed Dungarvan to Mallow Greenway project team provide update on local community engagement activities
The Dungarvan to Mallow Greenway, as proposed, is a 74-kilometre long walking and cycling path that would connect Mallow, County Cork to Dungarvan, County Waterford linking the towns and villages of Cappoquin, Lismore, Ballyduff, Clondulane, Fermoy, Ballyhooly, and Killavullen.
The project team from Waterford City and County Council and Cork County Council estimate that approximately 140 landowners may be directly impacted by the emerging preferred route, and consultation is currently underway with these individuals, as well as a further approximately 100 landowners whose land is adjacent to the emerging preferred route.
The project team is following the Code of Best Practice for National and Regional Greenways and appointed a Project Liaison Officer to commence individual landowner consultations. At this stage, the Project Liaison Officer has visited over 170 individual private households – primarily located between Mallow and Lismore – and met with the landowners and their families. Also, a meeting recently took place with the Irish Farmers’ Association, or IFA, representatives to share the progress of the project to date, and to listen to the concerns of their members.
This landowner engagement is in addition to the initial public consultation undertaken back in 2022 and the key themes emerging at that time included safety and security, environment concerns, and the potential impacts on local residents, farms and businesses.
Welcoming the engagement process to date, Sean Callery, Senior Engineer, Cork County Council:
“The project group is very grateful to landowners locally for making themselves available and for engaging so robustly. The Project Liaison Officer has received a lot of valuable feedback and all of this will be analysed over the coming months. The route will be refined where possible in order to minimise farm severance and accommodate landowners, wherever feasible.”
Senior Engineer Waterford City and County Council, Sean Dobbs said:
“This proposed new greenway would create a fun, healthy experience for local people and tourists alike, one that supports the economic development of the region and the wellbeing of our citizens. It is very encouraging to see the community engage at this level.”
The team expects to visit and meet with the remaining 70 landowners, most of whom are located between Lismore and Dungarvan, throughout the month of June. All feedback will be reviewed and refinements to the route will be considered and analysed by the project team. A further round of public consultation is expected to take place towards the end of the year.
File photo: showing a separate greenaway in Cork City. Many former railway lines across Ireland have been re-opened for foot and bicycle traffic. Previously called walkways the current term favoured is Greenway.