Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD, has today (21st June 2023) announced funding of over €209,000 to upgrade and enhance 23 walking trails across the country.
The funding, under the Walks Scheme, will improve trail surfaces and deliver additional seating and signage for the benefit of walkers, tourists and families alike.
A number of trails and walks will also be ‘re-routed’ to improve their safety and to protect the rural countryside.
The initiative is designed to boost outdoor recreation and adventure tourism and to enhance some of the country’s most popular outdoor trails.
Under the Walks Scheme, funding is provided to farmers and other landholders to maintain the trails that travel through their land. Funding is also provided to local development companies for the management of the scheme and the upkeep of the trails.
Among the successful projects being announced today include:
- Co. Offaly: Offaly Way - Maintenance and repair of 2 pedestrian bridges - €10,000
- Co. Kerry: Glanageenty Loops - Provision of Safety Fencing to protect the trail - €10,000
- Co. Roscommon: Lung Lough Gara Way - Installation of boardwalk across a bog section to improve walking experience -€10,000
- Co. Mayo: Croagh Patrick Heritage Trail - Reroute at Knockraha with relocation of an existing walkway bridge and drainage installed - €10,000
- Co. Waterford: St. Declan’s Way – Resurfacing of trail and installation of drainage at Cush of Grange - €10,000
- Co. Cork: Slí Gaeltacht Mhuscraí - Works include cutting back growth from path edges, installation of fencing, pedestrian gates and resurfacing of a short re-route of the trail - €10,000
Announcing the funding today, Minister Humphreys said:
“Our walkways and outdoor trails really showcase the unique beauty of our rural towns and villages.
“They are hugely popular assets among families, hikers, cyclists and tourists alike and it’s therefore so important that we continuously maintain and protect them.
“So today, I’m delighted to announce this funding of over €209,000 under my Department’s Walks Scheme.
“This funding will enhance 23 of our most popular walking trails across the country.
“I’m pleased too that these projects will be delivered through local contractors and workers, therefore providing a boost to our rural economies.
“This funding, along with my recent announcement of the Walks Scheme’s expansion, builds on the unprecedented investment in our outdoor amenities, underpinned by our most ambitious rural development policy in decades – ‘Our Rural Future’.”
The Minister concluded:
“Outdoor recreation tourism is a growing sector internationally, and has the potential to have major economic spin-off benefits for our rural towns and villages.
“I would encourage everyone to visit their local trails to see the fantastic work that is being done in conjunction with our farmers and landowners.
“A visit to your local trail also gives you the opportunity to enjoy the fresh air, beautiful views and the peace of mind that being in the outdoors brings.”
The projects being funded are led by local development companies in collaboration with landowners, Community Trail Management Organisations and other stakeholders.
Under the Walks Scheme, funding is provided to farmers and other landholders to maintain the trails that travel through their land. Funding is also provided to local development companies for the management of the scheme and the upkeep of the trails.
The Walks Scheme Development Fund supports projects that require more extensive work, which would be additional to ongoing maintenance. Over the last two years the Department has provided funding of over €400,000 for 48 projects under the fund.
Along with the recent announcement of a major expansion of the Walks Scheme, this funding will support the growth of outdoor recreation across rural Ireland and will provide high quality recreation opportunities which are key commitments of the new ‘Embracing Ireland’s Outdoors’, National Outdoor Recreation Strategy 2023 – 2027.
Details of the projects are available in the below table.
Notes to editors:
Our Rural Future
Our Rural Future is the whole-of-government policy for rural Ireland for the period 2021-2025. It represents a new milestone in the approach to rural development policy for Ireland and adopts a more strategic, ambitious and holistic approach to investing in and maximising opportunities for rural areas.
The Walks Scheme
The Walks Scheme facilitates the development and maintenance of key walking trails by private landholders. The scheme is administered by 20 local development companies (LDCs) who deliver the scheme in their area on behalf of the Department.
The Department funds 21 Rural Recreation Officers (RROs) in these LDCs, with a contribution from Fáilte Ireland, to assist with the delivery of the Scheme and support other rural recreation initiatives at a local level.
There is currently approval in principle for 80 trails to be included on the Walks Scheme. To date, 64 trails have been brought onto the Scheme with work underway to bring the remaining trails onto the Scheme as soon as possible.
On 10th February 2023 Minister Humphreys announced a further expansion of the Scheme by opening a call for expressions of interest for new trails. This major initiative will support the growth of outdoor recreation across rural Ireland by increasing the number of trails on the Scheme from 80 to 150 trails over the next 2 years. This is in line with the recently published Embracing Ireland's Outdoors – the National Outdoor Recreation Strategy 2023-2027,which committed to further expanding the Walks Scheme to 150 trails by end of 2024.
For more information on the National Outdoor Recreation Strategy 2023-2027 see here.
Walk Scheme Expansion Expressions of Interest
The Department has opened a call for expressions of interest from LDCs for new trails and substantial extensions to existing trails. Potential applicants (e.g. trail management committees, community groups, local authorities, and other similar entities) are advised to make contact with the relevant LDCs in respect of trails that are eligible for inclusion in the scheme. The closing date for EOIs is 23rd June 2023.
Walks Scheme Development Fund
Criteria for the funding:
- Maximum €10,000 funding per project.
- Consideration will only be given to requests for funding for approved Walks Scheme trails.
- The local development companies must demonstrate the necessity of the works for the continued good functioning of the trail.
- The works must be completed within the calendar year.
Details of projects funded are in the table below:
LDC | Name of Project | Description | Cost |
Donegal Local Development Company | Sliabh Liag Pilgrims Path Barrier & signage upgrade | Installation of trailhead information board and heavy duty single boom car barrier at Sliabh Liag alternative car park. This will replace gate and allow landowner and emergency vehicle access while stopping unauthorised vehicular access and accidental damage caused to the trail and the surrounding SAC. | €7,942 |
Forum Connemara | Hymany Way path improvement | Upgrade to 400m stretch of bog in Loontan, Castleffrench West. | €10,000 |
IRD Duhallow | Signage on Duhallow Way and upgrade at Mushera | Upgrade of waymarking on Duhallow Way Resurfacing at Mushera. | €10,000 |
Kilkenny Leader Partnership | Freshford Loop Signage and Benches Project | Replacement and relocation of the existing mapboard stand. Installation of three age friendly benches. | €10,000 |
Kilkenny Leader Partnership | Gathabawn resurfacing project | 1. Works will consist of the laying of recycled plastic bog board across a spring to allow the water to flow under or through. 2. Install drainage and resurface a section where farm machinery crosses the trail. | €10,000 |
Kilkenny Leader Partnership | Kilmacoliver Summit Loop Surface Upgrade | Upgrade of 400m of trail surface where areas have become boggy and impassable in wet weather. Geotextile will be laid and repairs to drain bridge | €10,000 |
Kilkenny Leader Partnership | Nore Valley Fencing Upgrade | Upgrade of fencing along 270m of the Nore Valley. | €10,000 |
Laois Partnership Company | Repair of two pedestrian bridges on the Offaly Way | Maintenance and repair of 2 pedestrian bridges on the Offaly Way. | €10,000 |
Laois Partnership Company | Tree Trimming Project on Slieve Bloom Way | Maintenance and general tree cutting repair, where they are causing an obstruction on Slieve Bloom Way. | €2,000 |
Louth Leader Partnership | Ecological Assessment on Táin Way and Loops | Ecological Assessment of the Táin Way and 3 Loop trails located on Commons Commonage and adjoining private lands, located on or next to an SAC Boundary. (Slieve Foy Loop; Barnavave Loop and Commons Loop) | €10,000 |
North East & West Kerry Development Company | Safety fencing on Glanageenty Loops | Erecting a new fence in two separate sections to prevent livestock breaking onto the walking path. | €10,000 |
Roscommon Leader Partnership | Trail enhancement on Lung Lough Gara Way | Installation of 50 metres of boardwalk across a bog section of the Lung Lough Gara to improve underfoot conditions. | €10,000 |
Roscommon Leader Partnership | Trail enhancement on Suck Valley Way | Installation of a stretch of boardwalk to enhance underfoot conditions, and stiles to enhance access | €10,000 |
South Kerry Development Partnership | Black Valley Pedestrian bridge on Kerry Way | Replacement of a timber bridge in the Black Valley on the Kerry way with a fully galvanised steel structure | €10,000 |
South Kerry Development Partnership | Cailleach Beara Loop Trail repair | Trail repair and minor reroute on a 1.5km section on top of Esk mountain on the Cailleach Beara Loop. Lay a Geotextile non-woven 1000nw taram on top of the trail/Bog and lay 100mm-150mm of 50-100mm stone on top of the Taram and then blind off with 804 chip. Handrails will be installed on two sections to aid walkers through to inclines on rocky sections. | €9,944.61 |
South West Mayo Development Company | Knockraha Wood safety reroute | Reroute of the Croagh Patrick Heritage Trail with relocation of an existing walkway bridge and drainage installed. | €10,000 |
Waterford Leader Partnership CLG | Replacement viewing platforms on Anne Valley Way | To replace six wooden viewing platforms on the Anne Valley Way with 6 recycled plastic | €10,000 |
Waterford Leader Partnership CLG | Replace waymakers & arrowplates on the Anne Valley Way | Replace the current wooden posts to those made of recycled plastic. | €4,170 |
Waterford Leader Partnership CLG | Anne Valley Walk Resurfacing Phase 1 | Purchase stone dust for the resurfacing the Anne Valley Way from Dunhill to Woodstown Bridge. | €10,000 |
Waterford Leader Partnership CLG | Mapboards for St. Declans Way | Install 7 mapboards on the St. Declans Way. | €5,200 |
Waterford Leader Partnership CLG | Trail resurface at Cush of Grange, St Declans Way | Resurface trail and install drainage at Cush of Grange on St. Declans Way where it is extremely wet, muddy and boggy over the Winter. | €10,000 |
West Cork Development Partnership | Upgrade of Sli Gaeltacht Mhuscrai trail at Cappagh, The Mills, Ballyvourney | Works include cutting back growth from path edges, installation of fencing, pedestrian gates and resurfacing of a short re-route of the trail. | €10,000 |
West Cork Development Partnership | Mullaghmesha Loop improvements | Resurfacing boggy stretches throughout the hillside with matting to allow for vegetation to grow through it, so as not to affect the appearance of the hillside and to prevent disturbance to flora and fauna. | €10,000 |