Department urged to withhold funding from Donegal County Council for greenways

The man responsible for creating the Inishowen Greenway in 2014 has said that if the local authority cannot maintain the infrastructure that has already been completed, then further funding should be withheld until a fully-funded maintenance strategy is provided by the council to the Inishowen Municipal District.

Speaking after visiting the greenway in Muff, Rónán Gallagher, Wee Greenway Initiative and who worked with Donegal County Council on the first phases of the project, said it was disappointing to see how the facility had fallen into disrepair since it was opened in 2022.

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"A friend and I walked down to Muff from the city after Christmas," he said. "Neither of us had been on the route for a little while, so we were looking forward to entering the village from Coney Road. We were both shocked and dismayed at the condition of the facility.

This section of the Inishowen Greenway was funded by SEUPB in conjunction with the Department of Transport -it forms an integral link between Derry and Three Trees

"What was once a fantastic piece of infrastructure delivered by the Council’s Roads section is now a shadow of itself. Overgrown, slippery and basically without maintenance for many months, perhaps two years, it wouldn’t encourage anyone to cycle or walk to their destination.

"When I worked for Donegal County Council and was liaising with landowners across the peninsula, the greenway project was viewed as a fantastic opportunity for the area. It was subsequently listed as a deliverable of the government’s Project 2040 plan and one of the five catalyst projects of Failte Ireland's Inishowen Peninsula Destination Experience Development Plan. It has the potential to transform both Derry and Inishowen."

Inishowen Greenway approaching Coney Road, Muff when it was first opened in May 2022

Gallagher said he has contacted Transport Infrastructure Ireland and the elected members of the Inishowen Municipal District, with the only response forthcoming from Cllr Terry Crossan, who has also requested that the council provide a proper maintenance strategy that includes the positioning of dog waste bins on the route.

Gallagher concluded: ‘if we want to encourage active travel, if we want to reduce our dependence on private motorised traffic, then not only do we need to construct safe, segregated cycling infrastructure, but the local authority also needs to maintain it. Not only is there an issue in persuading people to cycle more often, there’s also a health and safety concern for existing users of the route if it is not maintained.’