Old Rail Trail

Old Rail Trail (Athlone to Mullingar Cycleway)
Bridge on the greenway
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

Map of the EuroVelo 2 route.

The Old Rail Trail ^{[2] [3]} (also known as Athlone to Mullingar Cycleway) ^{[4] [5]} 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. ^{[6] [7]}

History

Looking towards Athlone

Looking towards Mullingar

The route was originally opened in 1851 as a railway line by the Midland Great Western Railway and was the first to reach Athlone from Dublin. ^[8] The line was closed in 1987 with trains using the former Great Southern and Western Railway line to reach Athlone. ^[9]

The Moate-Garrycastle section was officially opened by Taoiseach Enda Kenny in October 2015. ^{[10] [4] [5]} 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 began construction in 2021. ^{[16] [17] [18]} The bridge opened in August 2023. ^[19]

Access points

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

See also

• EuroVelo

References

1. "Old Rail Trail Westmeath" (PDF). Westmeath County Council. 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 January 2016. Retrieved 10 January 2020.
2. O'Shea, Susan (23 December 2019). "12 things to get you off the couch this Christmas". IrishExaminer.com .
3. "Westmeath County Council - News". WestmeathCoCo.ie . Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 19 October 2015.
4. "Taoiseach to perform official opening of Mullingar to Garrycastle cycleway". Shannonside FM. 11 September 2015. Archived from the original on 5 October 2015. Retrieved 5 October 2015.
5. Cusack, Adrian (18 May 2015). "Countdown is on to opening of Athlone to Mullingar cycleway". Westmeath Independent . Retrieved 4 June 2015.
6. "Midlands Greenway official opening on October 18". Westmeath Examiner . 11 October 2015. Archived from the original on 14 October 2015. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
7. "Work underway at Moate Railway Station". Athlone Advertiser. 9 July 2015. p. 4. Archived from the original on 10 July 2015. Retrieved 9 July 2015– via PageSuite-Professional.co.uk.
8. Casserley, H. C. (1974). Outline of Irish Railway History. Newton Abbot & North Pomfret: David & Charles. pp. 95–96. ISBN   0715363778. OCLC   249227042.
9. "Clara Heritage Group : **(Part 4) - Full Steam Ahead to Streamstown (Well almost)**" – via Facebook.
10. "Taoiseach to officially open Greenway this Sunday". Advertiser.ie . 5 October 2015. Archived from the original on 16 October 2015. Retrieved 16 October 2015.
11. Cusack, Adrian (2 September 2015). "local greenway could provide '€15m boost'". Westmeath Independent . Archived from the original on 3 September 2015. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
12. Fagan, Ronan (30 August 2018). "Greenway extension progress boost as funding is announced". Athlone Advertiser . Archived from the original on 30 August 2018. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
13. "Council looking to push forward plans for extension of Greenway". Athlone Advertiser. 5 May 2016. p. 1. Archived from the original on 6 May 2016. Retrieved 5 May 2016– via pagesuite-professional.co.uk.
14. "Kilbeggan track could be 'midlands Greenway'". Westmeath Examiner . 6 February 2015. Retrieved 13 February 2014.
15. "Taoiseach to open Athlone-Mullingar Greenway this afternoon". Shannonside FM. 18 October 2015. Archived from the original on 11 December 2015.
16. Fagan, Ronan (12 November 2020). "Significant funding allocated towards the construction of new town bridge". Athlone Advertiser . Archived from the original on 13 November 2020.
17. Grace, Robert (10 December 2015). "Councillors welcome latest proposed design for Athlone's cycleway bridge". Athlone Advertiser . Archived from the original on 11 December 2015.
18. Daly, Maria (9 October 2014). "Council confirm plans for new towncentre bridge as part of cycleway". Athlone Advertiser . Retrieved 9 October 2014.
19. "Athlone Greenway Bridge Officially Opened". ittn.ie. 8 August 2023. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
20. "Old Rail Trail - Route Map". Westmeath County Council. 2022. Archived from the original on 23 February 2022.
21. "Next greenway phase could open by Easter". Westmeath Independent. 13 August 2020.

External links

• Map of the cycleway

53°26′10″N7°34′06″W / 53.435979°N 7.568348°W / 53.435979; -7.568348