Rothar Routes

By Turlough on April 16, 2019

One of the reasons cited by An Bord Pleanála for refusing WWI permission for the Barrow Blueway was on grounds of safety.
A lot of people supported the project for very good reasons – improving tourist numbers in the county and boosting the local economy.

However the concept of a cycle path along the banks of the River Barrow had a number of flaws, safety being one.
What many people did not understand was how narrow the Track is over extended distances.
An increase in cycling numbers, of the magnitude attracted to the Waterford Greenway, would have presented a serious safety risk to other users. (WWI mentioned 100,000…)

I was videoing my cycle down the River one glorious summers day in 2018 when I chanced upon a large group of hikers.
As you can see it was impossible to pass the group and that is one of the beautiful things about the Track as it currently is configure. Cyclists have to go slow. It is a slow way.
Lots of people had the vision of opening up the route to cyclists, families with push buggies and wheel chair users. It would have been irresponsible and dangerous.

I hope this video helps people understand one of the many grounds for refusing permission for the Blueway.

It needs to be rethought now so that the Rover can indeed become a major attraction.
What about investing heavily in the river frontage in all the villages, similar to the beautiful linear park in Carlow Town, creating hubs to explore the region and the Barrow Way?
There are so many attractions along the river and close by that good tourist infrastructure and attractive villages could open up to a wider appeal.
We don’t need the crowds of the Wild Atlantic Way, a more authentic Ireland has its own unique attraction!