Blue Way v Green Way?
I have been spending most of my Saturdays over the past few months mapping cycles route across Counties Carlow, Kilkenny, Wexford, Laois and Kildare. The routes are selected for the pleasure they provide; I am not mapping routes for training purposes, my choices are directed by three criteria – beautiful scenery, interesting sites to visit and as traffic free as possible.
My journeys have taken me over the Blackstairs, The Sliabh Blooms, The Bog of Allen and into rural parts of the south east that are seldom visited and places that haven’t really changed very much in decades.
I completed my 21st route this weekend, a kind of coming of age! Yesterday I returned to the Barrow.
There has been an explosion in cycling, the roads are full of groups of lycra clad cyclists every weekend, and families are increasingly going out together for a day out on the Green Ways of Mayo, Westmeath and Waterford (on disused railway lines, not on existing river paths).
Plans are afoot to have a Blue Way along the mighty Barrow. Some of the plans are really exciting and it is great to imagine the river being used much more than it is.
But.
Having spent many years cycling on the Barrow Track I am very familiar with every kilometre of it. It is simply the best off road cycling route in the country. The Barrow Track is a unique resource – no other river has a 70km walking path along it’s bank. It is a an area of natural beauty and national significance, a pristine wilderness, full of wonderful flora and fauna. A real living Green Way.
Any ‘development’ that exploits or damages that for the intention of economic development truly is ill judged and misguided.
The accompanying photographs show the Barrow at is wonderful best and if the intention is to maximise the resource for the benefit of local communities then the plan must surely be to enhance and not interfere with the local environment.
To replace the grassy bank with a hardcore surface can only be described as an act of vandalism. We have seen sections that have had hardcore surfaces for many years and they are all potholed and are the worst sections of the Track. By far. There are many people who already avail of the Track for local walking and it is in fact a national long distance walking trail (many of them are on roadways … why?), fishermen, canoeists, cyclists, runners and nature lovers. These people use the Track and any of them that I meet on the Track are all of the same opinion – no hardcore surface!
This is not an anti development stance, nor a rent a crowd or rent a protest movement; these are people of conviction who treasure what we have.
All these people have seen the Barrow flood in winter and summer and seen the damage done to the stretches of hardcore surfaces that already exist – they are washed away. Why spend millions on a surface that will not stand he test of time unlike the grass path that we already have?
Parts of the Track are areas of special conservation and a hardcore Blue Way just does not comply with that status.
One of the more worrying considerations has to be future maintenance, Who is going to have the budget to repair the surface after each winter and to provide for the upkeep? A pilgrim walk took place recently from St Mullins to Graiguenamangh and a fantastic job was done of cutting the grass and the Track looks it’s brilliant best at the moment. However apart from that the attempts at maintenance by Waterways Ireland can only be described as sabotage. They spread heavy aggregate wherever they can, they rut the track with machinery that is too heavy and which in places causes subsidence. There has to be a more environment friendly means of maintaining this treasure.
I understand the budgetary constraints Waterways works under but regretfully I do not think they are approaching this from the correct perspective.
My cycle along the Barrow yesterday was just stunning. I encourage everyone to experience it either walking or cycling. it’s on our doorstep and we should treasure it.
Heron Landing
Barrow Cyclists
Rathellin Lock
