Plans for a greenway connecting Ballina and Dromineer in Tipperary have been shelved by the council.
No feasible route exists for the 24km walking and cycling track along the River Shannon leaving the project sitting without active progress or consultant involvement. Six other greenways take priority for advancement.
The Ballina side presents the main obstacle with effects on front lawns, driveways and farmyards. Councillors sought partial delivery or alternatives like electric bike use but no solution is apparent.
While originally envisioned as a 24-kilometre world-class walking and cycling path, the project has been deemed a “non-runner” in its current form due to several critical obstacles:
The local terrain proved too steep to meet the strict gradient requirements (slopes) set by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) for official greenway status. Land owned by the ESB along the lake’s edge was found to be fragmented, consisting of silt and scrub that does not provide a continuous path. Routes avoiding steep hills would have required cutting through high-value dairy farmland, leading to significant opposition from local landowners.
After three years of assessment and multiple public consultations, officials concluded that a continuous 24km route is not deliverable.
While the full continuous greenway from Ballina to Dromineer will not go ahead, local officials have suggested that smaller, disconnected sections (perhaps 5-kilometre stretches) might still be developed in the future. For now, the project has been sent back to the drawing board for a complete rethink of its viability.
Council officials shared “there isn’t really an update on the Ballina greenway except that our management report states the project is unlikely to progress in its current form”
