Finished sections of Kerry greenway should be opened early as people ‘losing patience’ with delays
Section of the greenway at Gleensk Viaduct.
Sections of South Kerry Greenway that can be ‘completed early’ should be immediately opened to the public as a way of getting the long-awaited project up and running.
Fianna Fáil Deputy Michael Cahill wants Kerry County Council (KCC) and Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) to move ahead with opening sections as people are ‘losing patience’ with delays.
He said everyone associated with progressing the project has shown great patience in awaiting the outcomes of public consultations and legal challenges.
It was confirmed at a Kenmare MD meeting earlier this month that no section of the long-anticipated South Kerry Greenway will open in 2025.
But after more than 15-years of talking, Deputy Cahill insists the time for talking is over and it’s now time to ‘walk the walk’.
He expressed dismay that a completed section of the greenway at Kells Station cannot be opened this year, as was originally intended. He included a section of the route from Glenbeigh to Mountain Stage.
The deputy stressed that while sections at the ‘Trail Heads’ of Cahersiveen and Glenbeigh may not be imminently ready, perhaps the honour of opening first should go to Kells.
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He warned that ‘now is the time to move’ as the South Kerry Greenway is ‘a gamechanger’ for people and local business.
“They will benefit from the enormous footfall that will inevitably follow in what will be the most scenic Greenway in all of Ireland…This will be the biggest and best ever tourism project for our county. The greenway will be there forever, we won't, and it will serve and benefit this generation and all future generations,” Deputy Cahill said.
“Killarney, Cahersiveen, Killorglin, Kenmare and every place in between and beyond will do extraordinarily well because of this greenway and South Kerry/Iveragh will finally get the lift it deserves,” he said.
The project was held up in recent years due to farmers and landowners concerns around the CPO process. It is Deputy Cahill’s view that KCC had ‘no choice’ but to CPO all lands as they were never going to reach 100 per cent agreement.
“That is crystal clear. The South Kerry Greenway would never, ever happen but for the CPO. There are farmers who are very happy and there are farmers who are not, that is fair to say,” he said.
“If agreement cannot be reached, there is a mediation process and I would encourage farmers/landowners to engage,” Deputy Cahill added.
"Some say that I am against the farmers. This could not be further from the truth. I have helped many of them and I am on the record as stating on a number of occasions at council meetings to give farmers and landowners whatever accommodation works/compensation that they are looking for,” he said.
