Rothar Routes

It was good to attend a packed public meeting this evening in the Abbey Hall, Graiguenamanagh held by the local ‘Save the Barrow Line’ Committee to update people on the proposal to create the Barrow Blueway. There were hundreds in attendance and all of them opposed to the development as proposed.

Seeing photographs of the damage done by WWI as part of their maintenance programme has to be a cause of concern. The Track will be destroyed if the hardcore surface is laid.

Amazing to hear that WWI cannot locate any otters or kingfishers along the river! There are plenty of otters close to Carlow Town, I have often seen them between the Lerr and Griese section – in fact an otter crossed our path one night and almost knocked us off our bikes! There are also common sightings below Mickey Websters Lock down as far the the Woodford Dolmen Hotel. I suppose the name of the old house on the Kilkenny road opposite the Vocational School kinda gives it away as it has long been called ‘Otterholt’!

I had a short cycle between Clashganny and Graiguenamanagh before going to the meeting where sections of the Canal were over flowing (WWI claim the canals never flood). Any unbound surface will end up in the river leaving potholes like I showed down at St Miullins on my last video. Grass is the only method to keep the canal bank in tact; it knits the soil together and forms a permeable barrier that allows water to drain away…. save it don’t pave it…