Cork cllrs briefed on progress of Mallow-Dungarvan greenway

FOLLOWING the allocation of €300,000 this year towards the planned Mallow-Dungarvan greenway, the public is to be given another opportunity to air their views on the proposed development.

The project, a joint initiative between Cork County Council and Waterford City and County Council, makes provision for a greenway along a roughly 74km stretch of scenic countryside adjacent to the River Blackwater linking up to the existing Waterford greenway.

It will create a more than 125km greenway linking Mallow to the heart of Waterford City.

The route will roughly follow the footprint of the former Mallow-Dungarvan railway line, which closed down on 1961, running through a number of North Cork towns and villages and incorporating a number of landmark bridges and viaducts.

These will include the iconic Carrigabrick viaduct spanning the River Blackwater in Fermoy, which was built in 1872 and was the backdrop for one of the most spectacular aviation movie sequences ever filmed.

This after stunt pilot Derek Piggott flew a Fokker Dr I triplane under the bridge with only four feet of wing clearance on either side. The scene was the dramatic climax to the 1966 film ‘The Blue Max’ , which saw two WWI pilots go head-to-head in a death-defying dual of nerves to see which one would emerge as master of the skies.

On Monday councillors from both local authorities were given a progress report on the scheme, including a briefing on the emerging preferred route ahead of a second public consultation exercise in June.

The initial public consultation in the spring of 2022 elicited 800 responses, with key issues raised including the potential affect the greenway will have on residents, business and farms along the route, its impact on the environment and safety and security.

In addition to highlighting these issues, the project team outlined the next steps for the scheme (details of which are available at www.corkrdo.ie/greenways) and the landowner engagement plan for the scheme.

Ahead of the next public consultation phase, project team members will meet with people whose and may be impacted by the scheme to explain the engagement process.

Concerns about the potential impact on farms long the proposed greenway route have been aired by the Irish Farmers Association (IFA).

Chief among these was the fact that most of the former railway line was no longer in public ownership, with sections of it having been purchased by farmers over the years.

“Many farmers now own and use the railway line as part of their farm with many developments around private houses and farmyards. This makes this project much more complex compared to using a railway line or other land that is in public ownership” said IFA environment chair Paul O’Brien.

The IFA reiterated its opposition to any severance of farms or the implementation of compulsory purchase orders (CPOs).

The project team, in turn, moved to quell any concerns on the issue of land ownership, confirming they would adhere to an agreed Code of Best Practice in the development greenways agreed with the IFA.

The association also raised a number of other issues including the loss of privacy due to greenways, land crossings, littering, animal disease and the implication for wildlife around the development works.

It also sought the appointment of an independent agronomist that would be available to consult with farmers on various issues.

“Full and proper consultation with farmers is critical to develop any infrastructural project,” said Mr O’Brien.

“I would caution the project promoters not to make the same mistake as some other county councils on Greenway projects, where they lost the confidence of the farmer landowners,” he added.

Speaking after Monday’s meeting the Mayor of County Cork, Cllr Danny Collins, said the proposed greenway had the potential to transform the region.

“Not only as a world-class tourism and recreational destination but also as a way to support economic development and promote healthy living for our citizens,” said Cllr Collins.

“I look forward to continuing to work with our project team to bring this vision to life,” he added.