Athlone to Mullingar Cycleway | |
---|---|
Length | 42 kilometres (26 miles) [1] |
Location | County Westmeath, Ireland |
Use | Cycling, walking |
Difficulty | Easy |
Season | Any |
Surface | Tarmac |
Website | Athlone.ie - Old Rail Trail |
The Athlone to Mullingar Cycleway (also known as Old Rail Trail) [2] [3] is a long-distance cycling and walking trail in County Westmeath, which forms a section of the Dublin-Galway Greenway. It is a 42 kilometres long rail-trail over the disused Athlone-Mullingar rail line beginning in Athlone and ending in Mullingar. [4] [5]
The route was originally opened c. 1850 as a railway line by the Midland Great Western Railway and was the first to reach Athlone from Dublin. [6] The line was closed c. 1987 with trains using the former Great Southern and Western Railway line to reach Athlone. [7]
The Moate-Garrycastle section was officially opened by Taoiseach Enda Kenny in October 2015. [8] [9] [10] In September 2015 the Westmeath Independent reported that the greenway could provide a "€15m boost" to the local economy. [11]
The section was extended up to Ballymahon road (White gates) in December 2016, with plans to eventually extend into Athlone town. [12] [13]
As of 2015, plans by a community development organisation in Kilbeggan, County Westmeath, were underway to connect the Greenway to the Offaly Cycleways at Kilbeggan with a greenway to Tullamore, County Offaly. [14] Work was planned to begin by summer 2016. [14] [15] [ needs update ]
A new bridge to cross the River Shannon in Athlone was allocated €8.1m funding and was planned to begin construction in June 2021. [16] [17] [18] [19] [ needs update ]
The following is a list of the access points to the cycleway. [20]
Location | Distance from Athlone (km) | Distance to Mullingar (km) | Coordinates |
---|---|---|---|
Abbey Road, Athlone | - | 43 | 53.426547, -7.942494 [21] |
Whitegates, Athlone | - | 42 | 53.427995, -7.931805 |
Garrycastle, Athlone | - | 40 | 53.422411, -7.899979 |
Mount Temple | 6 | 34 | 53.402258, -7.816096 |
Maghermore | 8 | 32 | 53.399294, -7.781841 |
Moate (Dún na Sí Park) | 12 | 28 | 53.398406, -7.736041 |
Moate (Station) | 12 | 28 | 53.399177, -7.723514 |
Rosemount | 18 | 22 | 53.415931, -7.641321 |
Lisnagree | 21 | 19 | 53.415931, -7.641321 |
Streamstown | 23 | 17 | 53.435258, -7.570478 |
Garhy (R391) | 26.2 | 13.8 | 53.450029, -7.531310 |
Castletown Station | 28 | 12 | 53.454793, -7.522229 |
Dysart | 30 | 10 | 53.476641, -7.480747 |
Ballinea | 36 | 4 | 53.502709, -7.431523 |
Bellmount | 37.2 | 2.8 | 53.508298, -7.403209 |
Kilpatrick | 38.4 | 1.6 | 53.509364, -7.390320 |
Mullingar Newbrook (Canal Link) | 40 | - | 53.517095, -7.368273 |
Mullingar Newbrook (Roundabout Access) | 42 | - | 53.509364, -7.390320 |
Athlone is a town on the border of County Roscommon and County Westmeath, Ireland. It is located on the River Shannon near the southern shore of Lough Ree. It is the second most populous town in the Midlands Region with a population of 22,869 in the 2022 census.
County Westmeath is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Leinster and is part of the Eastern and Midland Region. It formed part of the historic Kingdom of Meath, which was named Mide because the kingdom was located in the geographical centre of Ireland. Westmeath County Council is the administrative body for the county, and the county town is Mullingar. At the 2022 census, the population of the county was 95,840.
Mullingar is the county town of County Westmeath in Ireland. It is the third most populous town in the Midland Region, with a population of 22,667 in the 2022 census.
The Royal Canal is a canal originally built for freight and passenger transportation from Dublin to Longford in Ireland. It is one of two canals from Dublin to the River Shannon and was built in direct competition to the Grand Canal. The canal fell into disrepair in the late 20th century, but much of it has since been restored for navigation. The length of the canal to the River Shannon was reopened on 1 October 2010, but a final spur branch, to Longford Town, remains closed.
Moate is a town in County Westmeath, Ireland.
The Midland Great Western Railway (MGWR) was the third largest Irish gauge railway company in Ireland. It was incorporated in 1845 and absorbed into the Great Southern Railways in 1924. At its peak the MGWR had a network of 538 miles (866 km), making it Ireland's third largest network after the Great Southern and Western Railway (GS&WR) and the Great Northern Railway of Ireland.
The Westmeath Senior Football Championship is an annual Gaelic Athletic Association competition organised by Westmeath GAA between the top Gaelic football clubs in County Westmeath. The winner of the Westmeath Championship qualifies to represent the county in the Leinster Senior Club Football Championship, the winner of which progresses to the All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship. The current champions are The Downs GAA, winning their 10th title in 2022.
Mullingar railway station serves the town of Mullingar in County Westmeath, Ireland; it is situated 50 miles 17 chains (80.8 km) from Dublin, and 84 miles (135 km) from Sligo. Mullingar station is served by national rail company Iarnród Éireann's Dublin to Longford Commuter service and Dublin to Sligo InterCity service.
Streamstown is a village in County Westmeath, Ireland. It sits roughly 20 km from the county town of Mullingar. Streamstown was historically called Ballintruhan, which is an anglicisation of its Irish name.
Westmeath Intermediate Football Championship is an annual Gaelic Athletic Association competition organised by Westmeath GAA between Gaelic football clubs in County Westmeath. The winner of the competition qualifies to represent the county in the Leinster Intermediate Club Football Championship, the winner of which progresses to the All-Ireland Intermediate Club Football Championship.
Midland Railway Action Group was established to improve the internal infrastructure of the Irish Midlands, in particular, Mullingar, Tullamore, and Athlone, the Midland Railway Action Group (MRAG) is a pressure group striving to have the Athlone to Mullingar rail line re-opened, in order to serve the Midland Gateway towns of Athlone, Tullamore, and Mullingar with a transport corridor that answers the future and current requirements while remaining Kyoto friendly. More generally, other towns they claim would be positively affected by the desired re-opening of the Athlone -Mullingar rail link are Cavan, Clones, Longford, and Monaghan from the MRAG.
Willie Allen is currently the M.R.A.G. spokesperson.
Moate railway station is a former railway station which served the town of Moate in County Westmeath, Ireland. Previously a stop on the Midland Great Western Railway's main line to Galway and later on the main route between Dublin and stations in County Mayo, the station was closed in 1987. As of 2015, the line and station at Moate form part of the Athlone to Mullingar Cycleway.
UPDATE - AUGUST 2023: THE WESTMEATH WAY IS CLOSED "We have temporarily removed the trail listing from the Sport Ireland website, and it will not be listed again until we are satisfied that the trail is up to standard" - Sport Ireland
An election to Westmeath County Council took place on 23 May 2014 as part of that year's Irish local elections. 20 councillors were elected from three electoral divisions by PR-STV voting for a five-year term of office, a reduction of 3 seats compared to 2009. In addition Athlone Town Council and Mullingar Town Council were both abolished.
The Dublin–Galway Greenway is a partially completed 'coast-to-coast' greenway and partial rail trail, in Ireland, funded by the Department of Transport, which is due to become the western section of EuroVelo EV2, a cycle route from Galway, Ireland, crossing Europe and ending in Moscow, Russia. The 276 km route was planned to be completed by 2020. It is due to be the fourth greenway in Ireland, after the Great Southern Trail, the Great Western Greenway and the Waterford Greenway.
The Royal Canal Greenway is a greenway, in Ireland, which will become part of the western section of EuroVelo EV2, and the Dublin-Galway Greenway. Since its official opening in March 2021, it is the longest greenway in Ireland. It spans from Maynooth County Kildare to Longford and Cloondara, County Longford passing through counties Meath and Westmeath.
Clonlonan is a barony in south–west County Westmeath, Ireland. It was formed by 1672. It is bordered by County Offaly to the south and a small part of County Roscommon at Long Island on the River Shannon to the west. It also borders four other Westmeath baronies: Kilkenny West and Rathconrath, Moycashel and Brawny. The largest centre of population in the barony is the town of Moate.
Ireland's greenways are off-road routes for walkers, cyclists and other non-motorised transport in Ireland, which are often created as rail trails on abandoned sections of the Irish rail network. In the Republic of Ireland, several greenway initiatives have been centrally funded by the Irish government. In Northern Ireland, greenways are typically part of the collective British National Cycle Network (NCN).
Garrycastle is a townland in Athlone, County Westmeath, Ireland. It is in the civil parish of St. Mary's.