Michelle inspires the Boyne Estuary Cycle monthly series

ELECTION hopeful Michelle Hall is starting a cycling group to cater for people of all ages, especially families.

Boyne Estuary Cycling will be a monthly social group to encourage locals to get on their bikes and cycle gently along the scenic routes of the banks of the Boyne.

“I would like this initiative to be inclusive and at the moment, we are looking for a tandem bike pilot who will join Drogheda piper Daragh O’Heiligh. Darragh has a visual impairment but he has the equipment to join the club. We would love if someone would volunteer to help him access the cycling community”, Michelle said.

The next meeting of the social cycling group will be on Sunday February 24th, where they will meet at Termonfeckin NS at 11am and travel along the scenic Baltray Road to Drogheda and back again. “We might stop for a cuppa and chat in Drogheda and catch our breath!” adds Michelle. “Beaulieu is a good place to turn back if you want a shorter cycle and cyclists from further afield can join us too.”

Michelle, a local election candidate for the Drogheda Rural electoral district wants the government to invest in more tourism and cycling infrastructure projects for South Louth. She often cycles to work in Aston Village ETNS, since she purchased a bicycle through the Cycle to Work scheme. She rediscovered her love for cycling last summer and would like to see safe routes along scenic areas.

“Having read the Louth County Development Plans, I am amazed at the lack of funding given to South Louth considering the amount of high-quality tourist attractions in our area. We have an UNESCO (Tentative) World Heritage Site at Monasterboice, two Blue Flag beaches at Port and Clogherhead, Areas of Outstanding Beauty in Clogherhead and Port Oriel, Scenic Routes from Baltray all the way out to Castlebellingham, Historic Gardens and Designed Landscapes as well as Sites of Geological Interest at Clogherhead’s Wave Cut Platform, King William’ Glen, Port raised beach and Waterunder-Drybridge,” added the Termonfeckin resident and mother of three.

“We are literally teeming in beautiful tourist attractions yet 75% of tourist accommodation is in North Louth especially the Cooley Peninsula. County Louth has only 1% of Ireland’s tourism. Considering our close proximity to Dublin and Northern Ireland, I think there is a unique opportunity for us in the Drogheda environs to develop tourism and I believe we should look at Sustainable Tourism Development, promoting biodiversity, natural heritage, landscape and the built environment. I welcome the funding for the new Boyne boardwalk, but let’s not stop there.”

Michelle’s plans are in keeping with her endeavours to increase the bus service to Clogherhead from Drogheda.

“We need an effective transport system that locals and tourists alike can avail of. There needs to be some forward thinking in this country that seems to be lacking at the moment. Should I be elected in May, I will be looking at more joinedup policies in all areas of South Louth.” Graveyard Inscriptions, Newspapers, Local and National Archives and resources, online access and more. Cost: €80.00 per person, Old Drogheda Society Members €70.00

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