Greenway gets the green light

LISTOWEL COUNCILLORS’ VOTE PAVES WAY FOR FUNDING OF GST EXTENSION

THE Council will seek funding for the extension of the Great Southern Trail walking and cycling route into Listowel within months, after local representatives voted unanimously to approve the plans on Monday.

News of the decision was widely welcomed this week as the project is expected to see Listowel form the destination of what will be one of the longest and most attractive greenways in the entire country at more than 50kms in length.

The next tranche of funding for greenways opens in November, with Kerry County Council now poised to apply for Listowel as well as the Tralee-Fenit Greenway, which was approved last week.

98 submissions were received from the public in the ‘part eight’ process, culminating in Monday’s vote by councillors of the Listowel Municipal District.

“This is a very significant day for north Kerry. The development of the North Kerry Greenway represents a major boost for tourism and the local economy,” Cathoirleach of the Municipal District Aoife Thornton (FG) said.

Cllr Thornton said the council would continue to engage with landowners along the route. Many of them were initially opposed to the plans but came on board the project in recent months in a significant move.

Cllr Jimmy Moloney (FF) said the route represents untold benefits for North Kerry: “The success of the Greenways in Waterford and Mayo show what a huge positive economic greenways can have for ann area.”