Ballyshannon-Belleek walkway project “moving in the right direction” hope expressed

A Ballyshannon county councillor has expressed hope that an environmental walkway project that would see a greenway and cycleway between Ballyshannon and Belleek, and which had been “falling between two stools” because of the need to find the right funding model is now “moving in the right direction”.

Cllr Barry Sweeney told the paper that he was in attendance at a tourism conference in Letterkenny yesterday and the walkway which would pass the huge postwar electricity water turbines of the Erne hydro scheme of that era was the perfect conduit on which to explain the path to modern day renewable energy electric generation.

He said: “I am not fearful that it will not happen, but I am looking at the slow pace of things at present. I know that there is a process. It's also important that we adopt the right funding model, to ensure that this much anticipated initiative moves in the right direction, as soon as possible. The search is now on for the correct funding model”.

Regarding the bigger cross border projects and funding, under the Shared Island projects initiative, he said that the small acorns on which this had been started, should not be forgotten.

Cllr Barry Sweeny told the paper:

“We are talking about seven to eight years ago where people got together within the community to try and develop this and this was done with various residence groups and then Erne Enterprise got involved and then there was a cross border plan at that stage.

“There was a feasibility story completed in early 2019 on the Ballyshannon to Belleek and onto Caste Caldwell project but that has not been acted upon since.

“We have been falling between two stools the whole time since. The push that we have had recently was to try and coordinate where we are with regard to the project and how we can now advance it as soon as possible.”

The hydro electric station at Ballyshannon would be parallel to the new greenway/cycleway proposals

Previously his fellow councillor in Bundoran, Cllr Michael McMahon had said that local community groups were frustrated at the lack of progress in the development of the Greenways/Cycleways project which also were to incorporate Bundoran and Rossnowlagh.

It was agreed at that time of working closely with Fermanagh & Omagh District Council on shared island projects.

Then, they had been advised by officials that while there was a high level of funding available for the projects, not all of them could be brought to fruition within a short timeframe.

Cllr Sweeney said that it was important that the smaller goals of the project were not forgotten.

“This will be brilliant whenever it comes to fruition. While we are looking at overall tourism regeneration in the wider area, let’s not forget Ballyshannon to Belleek and things will grow from there”, Cllr Sweeny told the paper.