- Mayo councillors call on Sligo to rescind greenway proposal
- Iarnród Éireann agrees licence arrangement for 35 kilometre section
- Mayo County Council passes motion unanimously
- Proposal calls for opening of Western Rail Corridor from Claremorris to Sligo
- Councillors state greenways should not be at expense of rail infrastructure
Mayo councillors have called on their counterparts in Sligo to rescind the proposal to make the disused railway alignment between Bellaghy and Collooney available for the development of the Sligo Greenway. Iarnród Éireann confirmed this week that it has agreed to facilitate a licence arrangement with Sligo County Council for the 35 kilometre section of the former Western Rail Corridor for the development of the Sligo Greenway. The railway company had previously opposed putting the greenway on the rail alignment, arguing that the route should be protected for the possible future restoration of rail services.
The proposal received the backing of the Minister of Transport but the decision was met with dismay from Mayo councillors who passed a motion calling on their counterparts in Sligo to reject the proposal. Fianna Fáil party whip Cllr Damien Ryan raised the matter at the monthly meeting of Mayo County Council where he called on his fellow councillors to back him in reaffirming their commitment for the opening of the Western Rail Corridor from Claremorris to Sligo town. The Ballinrobe-based councillor stated he was not against the development of greenways but they cannot be developed at the expense of infrastructure that will bring economic benefits to the county.
His proposal, which was unanimously supported by the council chamber, called on the national government and all national and local representatives in Sligo to rescind the request for the greenway on the rail line from Bellaghy to Collooney. Sinn Féin councillor Gerry Murray stated that people in the west are astonished by the position taken by the Taoiseach but felt he is out of touch with the view of people and businesses in the region. Independent councillor Richard Finn questioned what progressive thinking was in Sligo to want a greenway on the route of a railway line. Independent councillor Patsy O’Brien stated that Mayo councillors needed to be united in their support of the Western Rail Corridor.
Damien Ryan, Fianna Fáil party whip, shared: “I want to reaffirm our commitment to preserve that rail corridor that runs right through our county. I welcome the delivery of the rail line from Athenry into Claremorris with a view to connecting with the airport and on to the county boundary at the earliest opportunity and hopefully on to Sligo. In 2026 you cannot have a situation where you don’t have that connectivity. Sligo and Galway should be connected by rail and it should have been done many years ago. The greenways should not be to the detriment of that corridor. The decision is clearly a cycle track or 21st century infrastructure and rolling stock and that is the difference and that is what should be the ask and we should not sell ourselves short.”
