Galway will receive more than €200,000 in funding for upgrade works to walking & cycling trails around the county.
Minister Heather Humphreys has today announced funding of €3 million to develop and upgrade over 300 forest parks, walking trails and outdoor amenities in Ireland.
In Galway €115,000 will be spent on a major upgrade of the old outer loop of mountain bike trail at Derroura in Connemara.
Another €57,600 will be used to reroute approximately 800m of the Western Way at Lackavrea onto drier ground with a more durable gravel surface.
And finally €€34,560 will be spent making significant repairs to walking trails on Inchagoill Island in Lough Corrib.
“Ireland’s outdoors, including our forest parks, walking and cycling trails, uplands and blueways are among the best in the world,” Heather Humphreys said.
“The benefits that they provide in terms of our physical and mental wellbeing are huge. They are also such important assets in terms of attracting tourists to Rural Ireland and supporting our local economies.”
Some €2 million of this funding package will be invested in improving and maintaining 280 recreational facilities on Coillte-owned lands right across the country.
And a further €1 million will be used to deliver 25 new outdoor projects such as walking trails, loops, boardwalks, ecotrails and carpark facilities.
Daithi de Forge, Coillte’s Head of Recreation added “With the Department’s ongoing support, Coillte will continue to deliver the highest quality outdoor forest recreation experiences for our communities nationwide.”
“We have an open forest policy and we’re proud to support local businesses such as café operators, bike hire providers and many others who partner with us and add the services that make a trip to Coillte’s forests so enjoyable for our visitors.”
