Athlone to Mullingar Cycleway
The Athlone to Mullingar Cycleway (also known as Old Rail Trail)[2][3] is a long-distance cycling and walking trail in County Westmeath, which forms a section of the Dublin-Galway Greenway. It is a 40 kilometres long rail-trail over the disused Athlone-Mullingar rail line beginning in Athlone and ending in Mullingar.[4][5] A new bridge is planned for Athlone.[6][7][8][9][10][11][12]
Athlone to Mullingar Cycleway | |
---|---|
Bridge on the greenway | |
Length | 40 kilometres (25 miles) [1] |
Location | County Westmeath, Ireland |
Use | Cycling, Walking |
Hiking details | |
Trail difficulty | Easy |
Season | Any |
Surface | Tarmac |
Website | Athlone.ie |
The Moate-Garrycastle section was officially opened by Taoiseach Enda Kenny in October 2015.[4][13][14][15][16][17][18] In September 2015 the Westmeath Independent reported that the greenway could provide a "€15m boost" to the local economy.[19]
The section has been extended up to Ballymahon road (White gates) in December 2016 and will eventually extend into Athlone town.[12][20]
Plans, by a community development organisation in Kilbeggan, County Westmeath, are underway to connect the Greenway to the Offaly Cycleways at Kilbeggan with a greenway to Tullamore, County Offaly.[21] Work is planned to begin by summer 2016.[21][22]
Access Points
The following is a list of the access points to the cycleway.[23]
Location | Distance from Athlone (km) | Distance to Mullingar (km) | Coordinates |
---|---|---|---|
Whitegates, Athlone | - | 40 | 53.427995, -7.931805 |
Garrycastle, Athlone | - | 40 | 53.422411, -7.899979 |
Mount Temple | 6 | 34 | 53.402258, -7.816096 |
Maghermore | 8 | 32 | 53.399294, -7.781841 |
Moate (Dún na Sí Park) | 12 | 28 | 53.398406, -7.736041 |
Moate (Station) | 12 | 28 | 53.399177, -7.723514 |
Rosemount | 18 | 22 | 53.415931, -7.641321 |
Lisnagree | 21 | 19 | 53.415931, -7.641321 |
Streamstown | 23 | 17 | 53.435258, -7.570478 |
Garhy (R391) | 26.2 | 13.8 | 53.450029, -7.531310 |
Castletown Station | 28 | 12 | 53.454793, -7.522229 |
Dysart | 30 | 10 | 53.476641, -7.480747 |
Ballinea | 36 | 4 | 53.502709, -7.431523 |
Bellmount | 37.2 | 2.8 | 53.508298, -7.403209 |
Kilpatrick | 38.4 | 1.6 | 53.509364, -7.390320 |
Mullingar Newbrook (Canal Link) | 40 | - | 53.517095, -7.368273 |
Mullingar Newbrook (Roundabout Access) | 40 | - | 53.509364, -7.390320 |
See also
References
- "Old Rail Trail Westmeath" (PDF). Westmeath County Council. 2016. Archived from the original (pdf) on 12 January 2016. Retrieved 10 January 2020. Cite journal requires
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(help) - O'Shea, Susan (23 December 2019). "12 things to get you off the couch this Christmas". IrishExaminer.com.
- "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-12-22. Retrieved 2015-10-19.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- "Midlands Greenway official opening on October 18". Westmeath Examiner. 11 October 2015. Archived from the original on 14 October 2015. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
- "Work underway at Moate Railway Station". Athlone Advertiser. 9 July 2015. p. 4. Archived from the original on 10 July 2015. Retrieved 9 July 2015 – via pagesuite-professional.co.uk.
- Grace, Robert (10 December 2015). "Councillors welcome latest proposed design for Athlone's cycleway bridge". Athlone Advertiser. Archived from the original on 11 December 2015.
- "Galway to Dublin Cycleway". Westmeath County Council. 2017. Archived from the original on 11 July 2017. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
- "Local councillors had a chance to check on the progress of the Greenway cycleway project as works reached Moate last week". Athlone Advertiser. 18 December 2014. Retrieved 18 December 2014.
- Melia, Paul (27 June 2014). "Wheels in motion for 280km coast-to-coast cycle route". Irish Independent. Dublin. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
- "€10m More For Cycleways". HospitalityIreland.com. 15 May 2014. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
- Daly, Maria (9 October 2014). "Council confirm plans for new towncentre bridge as part of cycleway". Athlone Advertiser. Retrieved 9 October 2014.
- Fagan, Ronan (30 August 2018). "Greenway extension progress boost as funding is announced". Athlone Advertiser. Archived from the original on 30 August 2018. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
- McDermott, Eoghan (18 October 2015). "Kenny wants national strategy for walks and trails". Archived from the original on December 22, 2015. Retrieved 19 October 2015.
- "Taoiseach to officially open Greenway this Sunday". 5 October 2015. Archived from the original on 16 October 2015. Retrieved 16 October 2015.
- "Taoiseach to perform official opening of Mullingar to Garrycastle cycleway". Shannonside FM. 11 September 2015. Archived from the original on 5 October 2015. Retrieved 5 October 2015.
- "Athone to Mullingar Greenway set to open within weeks". IrishCycle.com. 26 August 2015. Retrieved 29 August 2015.
- Cusack, Adrian (18 May 2015). "Countdown is on to opening of Athlone to Mullingar cycleway". Westmeath Independent. Retrieved 4 June 2015.
- "Welcome to Greenways Westmeath". Westmeath County Council. Archived from the original on 25 May 2015. Retrieved 9 July 2015.
- Cusack, Adrian (2 September 2015). "local greenway could provide '€15m boost'". Westmeath Independent. Archived from the original on 3 September 2015. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
- "Council looking to push forward plans for extension of Greenway". Athlone Advertiser. 5 May 2016. p. 1. Archived from the original on 6 May 2016. Retrieved 5 May 2016 – via pagesuite-professional.co.uk.
- "Kilbeggan track could be 'midlands Greenway'". Westmeath Examiner. 6 February 2015. Retrieved 13 February 2014.
- "Taoiseach to open Athlone-Mullingar Greenway this afternoon". Shannonside FM. 18 October 2015. Archived from the original on 11 December 2015.
- "Old Rail Trail - Route Map". Westmeath County Council. 2017. Archived from the original on 11 February 2017.