€400,000 Shared Island boost for Donegal-Derry greenway projects
Funding will advance design work on the Buncrana-Derry and Lifford-Derry greenways as both cross-border schemes move towards their next stage of development.
Funding of almost €400,000 has been announced for two major cross-border greenway projects linking Donegal with Derry under the Shared Island Greenways Development Fund.
The investment includes €260,000 for the proposed Buncrana to Derry Greenway and €137,500 for the Lifford to Derry Greenway, with funding to be provided across 2026 and 2027.
The announcement marks another important step in developing the North West Greenway Network, which aims to improve walking and cycling connections between communities on both sides of the border.
For the Buncrana to Derry Greenway, the funding will support the completion of Phase 3 design and environmental evaluation work on the Donegal section of the route. In County Derry, the funding will allow the project to progress to enabling works ahead of construction.
The Lifford to Derry Greenway will also receive significant support, with funding allocated to complete Phase 3 design and environmental evaluation work on the Donegal section while also progressing a connection to the Foyle Valley Greenway in County Derry.
Welcoming the funding allocation, South Inishowen councillor Fionán Bradley said it demonstrated the value of the Shared Island initiative.
"We've seen the success of greenways elsewhere. It will hopefully enable easier travel from Buncrana to Derry for those who enjoy cycling, walking, jogging and leisurely pursuits."
However, the Fianna Fail councillor said he remained firmly opposed to the use of compulsory purchase orders (CPOs) to deliver greenway projects.
"I do feel very strongly now in relation to greenways that the CPO process should not be used for them," he said.
"I don't really succumb to anybody's way of thinking that we're going to be able to change hearts and minds and get people to cycle to work and run to work in a country where it rains 300 days in a year and snows 20 of them.”
"But from a leisure point of view and healthy communities, it absolutely ticks all those boxes. As someone who enjoys walking and jogging myself, it's certainly a facility that I would use for a leisurely pursuit.”
Councillor Bradley also praised the cross-border nature of the investment. "The cross-border element with the Shared Island Fund is just proof of how successful that particular fund is in many communities on both sides of the border."
The Buncrana-Derry Greenway is currently nearing the end of Phase 2 – Options Selection. Following public consultation in May 2025, detailed assessments of route corridor options are continuing before an Emerging Preferred Route Corridor is identified.
Donegal County Council has confirmed there will be a third public consultation in the coming months, allowing residents, landowners and other stakeholders to provide feedback before the preferred route is finalised.
The Buncrana project has experienced a lengthy and difficult journey since first being announced in 2017 as the flagship section of the North West Greenway Network.
The 28.7-kilometre walking and cycling route was expected to be completed before the end of 2023, but planning delays and difficulties acquiring land resulted in the loss of a €10 million EU funding allocation after the council redirected the money to other greenway projects in Castlefin and Quigley's Point in 2022.
The proposed route also generated opposition from some landowners and businesses, particularly through Fahan, Lisfannon and Buncrana, where concerns were raised over farming operations, traffic management and impacts on local businesses.
Despite those setbacks, the latest Shared Island investment represents renewed progress for both major cross-border greenway schemes, which are expected to enhance active travel, tourism and recreational opportunities while strengthening links between Donegal and Derry.