One of the campaigners behind the development of greenways in Inishowen says if Donegal County Council cannot or will not maintain the current greenway and cycling infrastructure in the county, then future funding should be withheld until a fully-funded maintenance strategy is provided.
Rónán Gallagher of the Wee Greenway Initiative says while visiting the greenway in Muff over Christmas, it was disappointing to see how the facility had fallen into disrepair since it was opened in 2022.
He says what was once a fantastic piece of infrastructure delivered by the Council’s Roads section is now a shadow of itself………………..
Approaching Coney Road – May 2022
Approaching Coney Road – December 2025
Statement in full –
Department of Transport urged to withhold funding from Donegal County Council for greenway development
‘If Donegal County Council is not going to – or able to – maintain the greenways and cycling infrastructure that central government and the EU has already funded in the county, then future funding should be withheld’ Rónán Gallagher, Wee Greenway Initiative
The man responsible for creating the Inishowen Greenway in 2014 and who worked with Donegal County Council on the first phases of the project, 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, Gallagher said it was disappointing to see how the facility had fallen into disrepair since it was opened in 2022. ‘A friend and I walked down to Muff from the city after Christmas. 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.’ He continued: ‘what was once a fantastic piece of infrastructure delivered by the Council’s Roads section is now a shadow of itself. Overgrown, slippy 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.’
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.
He 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.’
The Wee Greenway Initiative was established in 2014 to develop the idea of building a flagship greenway around Inishowen, beginning and finishing in Derry City. The group was created by Rónán Gallagher and Blaise Harvey. The first sections of the greenway were officially opened in 2022. The overall route is now a deliverable of Donegal County Council and national government’s Project 2040.
On FaceBook, the campaign has now over 2,500 supporters and on X, over 1,200 followers.
Find us at www.facebook.com/InishowenGreenway or X @GreenwayPlease.
