Greenway plan between Nenagh and Dromineer

A PROPOSAL to develop a greenway between Nenagh and the scenic lakeside village of Dromineer has received the full backing of Jackie Cahill, the only Government TD in County Tipperary.
The decision by Mr Cahill to get behind such a proposal has been greeted with enthusiasm in Nenagh and Dromineer, with representatives from both areas stating that it would be a magnificent boost for the tourism sector and a wonderful amenity for visitors and the local community.
The Fianna Fáil TD, who visited the village on Friday last to meet with local promoters of the project, said a greenway would attract tourists and stimulate the local economy.
But he stressed that better infrastructure was first needed in Dromineer to cope with the crowds who flock to the idyllic village on warm days in summer. 
He revealed that he had contacted the county council in relation to "multiple complaints" he received in regard to the lack of parking facilities evident in high season. 
Referring to scenes in Dromineer during recent spells of sunny weather, Mr Cahill said: "I have been informed by a number of constituents that the parking situation was atrocious. I have made contact with the council regarding this and I am hoping we can get something moving to solve the congestion”, 
Turning to the proposal for the greenway, Mr Cahill said: “A greenway between Dromineer and Nenagh would be a significant asset to the local area and the development of such would encourage more tourism initiatives in the region. It would be an excellent amenity to have for locals also and would bring additional revenue to the area by means of visitors.”
He said he decided to get fully behind the greenway plan because of the huge success that was evident from the development of the highly popular Waterford Greenway. 
Mr Cahill said he hoped a similar development could be achieved locally, and he also wanted to see the greenway along the River Suir from Carrick-On-Suir to Clonmel extended all the way up the river to Thurles. 
"I would be very interested in getting involved with groups to push this Dromineer initiative," he said.
He stressed that any plan to have a greenway along the banks of the Nenagh River would have to take into account the concerns of local landowners along the route between Nenagh and Dromineer. 
The 10 kilometre long Slí Eile pathway currently extends along the river from Nenagh to Annabeg Bridge, but there is no public access through lands along the final one-mile stretch to the river's confluence with Lough Derg in Dromineer Bay. 
Deputy Cahill expressed the hope that a way could be found to secure the necessary strip of land to make a greenway feasible along the entire length of the river from Nenagh to Dromineer. 
Deputy Cahill said there was never a better time for communities to come together to look at developing greenways as the creation of such amenities were now included in the Programme for Government. 
"This would be a win-win for Nenagh and Dromineer. Huge numbers of our population are now walking and cycling," he said.
Declan Collison, who runs The Lake Cafe and the Lough Derg House guesthouse in Dromineer, said the greenway was a great proposal. "It's absolutely fantastic and is to be welcomed," he said. 
He expressed confidence that securing the necessary land between Annabeg Bridge and Dromineer could be achieved to allow the greenway to be developed. "In fariness to the landowners, a deal can be done. It would mean a particular type or style of fencing, but a deal can be done." 
Mr Collison added that there was huge potential to go beyond what Mr Cahill was proposing by creating a much larger greenway.
He said the Independent councillor Joe Hannigan from Lower Ormond had done a lot of work on planning to extend the Lough Derg Way right up into Portumna and beyond. 
Mr Collison said a greenway could be developed all along the River Shannon from Limerick to link up with the Grand Canal, taking in all the villages along Lough Derg and into Portumna and further north up the river. 
"So essentially you would be creating a walkway from Limerick to Dublin. Even if the Lough Derg Way was extended all the way to Portumna that would be absolutely magic," said Mr Collison.
He added that there was huge scope in the Nenagh area for greenways, even proposing that the concept could be extended along the loss making local rail line between Limerick and Ballybrophy. If closed down it could be transformed into a walking and cycling route. 
He said the existing spur off the line to Silvermines could also be turned into a similar amenity to give walkers and cyclists access to the scenic mountainous terrain of Silvermines.
He said the rail line, which has been closed since the end of March due to the Covid-19 pandemic, was "a horrendous waste of taxpayers money" and shutting it down and developing a greenway along the line would be something positive to boost local economies along the line.
"You can't have a Calcutta-style express train from the 1930s running parallel to a modern motorway. I can cycle faster to Cloughjordan than that train can go because of the speed restrictions on the line. And, it's never going to change, so it might as well be a greenway," said Mr Collison.
The Chairman of the Nenagh Municipal District, Councillor Seamus Morris, said it would be fantastic if the development of a greenway between Dromineer and Nenagh was to proceed. "The greenway is the way to go. It's a no-brainer," he declared. 
Councillor Morris said he had previously spoken to the Chief Executive of Tipperary County Council, Joe MacGrath, about prospect of develoing the greenway. 
"I'm absolutely delighted at what Jackie Cahill is on about and I hope he can get funding for it because it would be a massive asset. People could cycle out from Nenagh to Dromineer and back and have the Nenagh River the whole way." 
Councillor Morris added that extra public parking facilities were urgently required in Dromineer, and he suggested that the visitor attractions could be enhanced even further with the provision of camping and camper van facilities. "Because, whether we like it or not, Dromineer is after being found by the Irish public, and they love it."
He said the greenway concept fitted well with the booming wellness industry and eco-economy. These sectors had massive potential and could be developed further locally, generating a big boost to the local economy.
Councillor Morris said he has had talks with a local Green Party officer who had informed him that the Greens "would be very proactive about getting a greenway from Nenagh to Dromineer".
He also revealed that he had recently negotiated a deal to extend the Slí Eile walk upstream along the Nenagh River as far as Lisboney Industrial Estate.