Minister Calleary Announces Further Investment in Ireland’s Walking Trails and Latest Expansion of the Walks Scheme

Minister Calleary announces further investment in Ireland’s walking trails and latest expansion of the Walks Scheme

Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, Dara Calleary, has today (Friday, 16 May) announced 22 new trails that will be joining his Department’s Walks Scheme, as well as over €465,000 in funding for projects to support and enhance 49 trails already on the Walks Scheme.

The 22 new trails announced today are spread over 10 counties and include trails such as Siúlóid an tSáis in Kerry, involving 40 landowners, and the Keenagh Loop in Mayo, with over 20 landowners. There are also two trails located on Clare Island. The details of the 22 new trails can be found in the notes section below.

In addition, Minister Calleary also announced funding of over €465,000 under the Walks Scheme Development Fund to support and enhance 49 trails that are already on the Walks Scheme.

Projects supported include small scale trail surface improvements, signage and waymarking, new picnic and recreation areas, and rerouting of trails away from busy roads. These projects will be led by local development companies in collaboration with landowners, community trail management organisations and other stakeholders. The list of projects is available in the notes section below.

Making the announcement, Minister Calleary said:

In Ireland, one of our most valuable resources is our beautiful countryside. We are very fortunate to have wonderful walking trails all across the country and to have generous landowners who are willing to allow the public access to trails that cross their lands.

I am pleased to announce today the approval in principle for 22 trails to join the Walks Scheme, as well as funding to support the further enhancement of 49 trails already on the scheme.

My department is committed to supporting the development, maintenance and promotion of recreational infrastructure in line with the aims of ‘Embracing Ireland’s Outdoors,’ Irelands national outdoor recreation strategy.

I want to thank the land owners in particular, for providing these opportunities. There is no doubting the health and wellbeing benefits provided by these trails, and the economic impact they can also provide by driving visitor numbers to rural Ireland.

The announcement today fulfils a commitment in Embracing Ireland’s Outdoors, the National Outdoor Recreation Strategy 2023-2027, to increase the number of trails on the Walks Scheme to 150.

Discussing the announcement, Minister of State Jerry Buttimer said:

This Department is committed to supporting the local development companies who in turn are working in collaboration with community groups in the development and enhancement of these trails. I wish to thank all the local community groups involved for their work.

The positive impact that these trails have on local communities cannot be overstated. I would encourage everyone to seek out their local trail and to discover the beauty of the countryside around them.

Our Rural Future

Our Rural Future is the whole-of-government policy for rural Ireland for the period 2021-2025. It offers a blueprint for a thriving and inclusive rural Ireland and adopts a more strategic, ambitious and holistic approach to investing in and maximising opportunities for rural areas. The 2025 Our Rural Future Work Plan and the 7th Our Rural Future Progress Report are now available on the Department’s website.

Embracing Ireland’s Outdoors, National Outdoor Recreation Strategy 2023-2027

Embracing Ireland’s Outdoors is a cross-Government stakeholder-led strategy which was developed in collaboration with Comhairle na Tuaithe. The strategy will lead, guide and facilitate the sustainable development and management of the outdoor recreation sector for the next five years. It also aims to increase participation, to realise social, health and economic benefits.

The Walks Scheme

The Walks Scheme facilitates the development and maintenance of key walking trails by private landholders. The scheme is administered by 22 Local Development Companies (LDCs) who deliver the scheme in their area on behalf of the Department.

The Department funds 23 Rural Recreation Officers (RROs) in these LDCs, with a contribution from Fáilte Ireland, to assist with the delivery of the Scheme and support other rural recreation initiatives at a local level.

There is currently approval in principle for 142 trails to be included on the Walks Scheme. To date, 101 trails have been brought onto the Scheme with work underway to bring the remaining trails onto the Scheme as soon as possible. This will entail the Local Development Companies identifying the landowners along the trail and developing workplans for each of them which will set out the work involved in maintaining their section of the trail.

The addition of the 22 new trails announced today will being to 164 the number of trails with approval in principle to join the Walks Scheme.

For more information on the National Outdoor Recreation Strategy 2023-2027 see here and details of the Walks Scheme can be found here.

List of 22 Trails approved in principle to join the Walks Scheme

County	Name of Trail	Name of responsible Local Development Company
Cavan	Bruse Hill Walkway	Cavan County Local Development
Cork	Yew Tree Hill Loop Walk	West Cork Development Company
Kerry	Siúlóid an tSáis	North East West Kerry
Leitrim	Fowley's Fall	Leitrim Development Company
Leitrim	O’Rourke’s Table	Leitrim Development Company
Limerick	An Gleann Beag Loop	Ballyhoura Development
Limerick	Lough Ghe Way	Ballyhoura Development
Limerick	The Knights Walk	Ballyhoura Development
Mayo	Fawnglass Loop - Clare Island Loops	Comhar na nOileán CTR
Mayo	Knocknaveena Loop - Clare Island Loops	Comhar na nOileán CTR
Mayo	Keenagh Loop	South West Mayo Development Company CLG
Mayo	Newport Coastal Trail	South West Mayo Development Company CLG
Roscommon	Carrowbehy/Cahir Raised Bog Walk	Roscommon Leader Partnership
Roscommon	Kiltullagh Church Walk	Roscommon Leader Partnership
Roscommon	Knockvicar Looped Bog Walk	Roscommon Leader Partnership
Roscommon	Tarmon Bog Walk	Roscommon Leader Partnership
Tipperary	Vee Valley	South Tipperary Development Company
Waterford	Ramp Boreen Trail	Waterford Leader Company
Wexford	Jean Kennedy Smith Trail	Wexford Local Development
Wexford	Rosslare Cliff Walk Trail	Wexford Local Development
Wexford	Urrin Riverside Trail Enniscorthy	Wexford Local Development
Wexford	Ringwood Trail	Wexford Local Development

List of 49 approved projects under Walks Scheme Development Fund

Local Development Company	Name of Project	Description
Ballyhoura Development Company	Ballyhoura Way – Trail upgrades	Re-routing to take the trail off road. Works to include trail profiling, fencing, waymarking and signage.
Ballyhoura Development Company	Molanna Loop - Trail repairs and upgrades	Repairs to stiles, gates, steps, recreational areas, drainage, trail surfacing and fencing.
Ballyhoura Development Company	Moore Abbey Loop – Trail extension to historic lime kiln	Groundworks, trail-surfacing and installation of stream bridge to give walkers access to native woodland and a historic lime kiln.
Cavan County Local Development	Cavan Way - Re-route	Resurfacing of pathway leading out from the Shannon Pot to prevent pedestrians from walking on the road and create a safer and more comfortable route.
Clare Local Development Company	Blackhead Loop - Trail works	Replacement of a number of gates on the Blackhead loop and installation of new signage.
Clare Local Development Company	Burren Way - Upgrade of signage and mapboards	Replace two old mapboards and upgrade signage on Burren Way.
Clare Local Development Company	East Clare Way - Trail surface works	Upgrade and repair trail surface in the Craiglea area.
Clare Local Development Company	Wood Loop Ballyvaughan - Trail upgrade works	Replace damaged directional signage and gravel works on farm road section.
Co. Wicklow Partnership	Wicklow Way - Trails repairs	Trail resurfacing due to damage from weather and farm machinery.
Comhar na nOileán	Beara Way Dursey Island - Picnic Area	Provide a picnic and seating area on Dursey Island trail.
Comhar na nOileán	Whiddy Island – Interpretation of islands history	New signage boards and audio listening post to provide a detailed and interesting account of the Islands history.
Donegal LDC	Bluestack Way - Storm damage clearance	Remove blocking and dangerous trees along route following Storm Éowyn to reopen the Bluestack Way in its entirety again.
Forum Connemara	Hymany Way - Trail surface repair and fencing	Surface repair and new fencing to a 300m section of the Hymany Way trail, near the village of Caltralea.
Forum Connemara	Luibin Mhairois - Upgrade trail infrastructure	Upgrade of trail infrastructure signage, post, fencing, waymarkers, stiles and information board
Forum Connemara	Western Way - Trail Repair at Finnisglin	Repair several sections of the trail which have become degraded over time due to recent landslides.
IRD Duhallow	Duhallow Blackwater Way – Trail upgrade	To rectify safety issues identified during the latest Sport Ireland inspection.
Kilkenny Leader Partnership	Brandon Hill - Boundary Repairs	Replacement of gate, hangers, stile and fencing.
Kilkenny Leader Partnership	Freshford Loop Trail - Accessibility upgrades	Replacement of timber fencing barrier, gates and stile along river section to improve accessibility.
Kilkenny Leader Partnership	Gathabawn - Fencing replacement	Replacement of 620m of barbed wire boundary fencing with 620m of stock proof electric fencing.
Kilkenny Leader Partnership	Kilmacoliver Loop - Surface upgrade works	Resurfacing of a busy 260m section of trail, new stiles and replace damaged railings.
Kilkenny Leader Partnership	Nore Valley – reroute around a riverbank	Reroute the trail around an unsafe riverbank. Barrier fencing installed for user safety
Laois Partnership Company	Binnianea Way - Trail upgrades	Trail upgrades including installation of trail furniture, interpretive signage and small-scale trail surface upgrades to increase accessibility of trail.