Future of Ballina to Dromineer greenway appears uncertain amid route selection challenges

Efforts to establish a greenway connecting the Tipperary towns of Ballina and Dromineer appear to be at an impasse, as difficulties in identifying a feasible route have come to light.

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The proposed project, which has been under consideration for three years, aims to create a 24-kilometre walking and cycling path along the River Shannon, opening both towns to a broader spectrum of tourists while improving access to other regional attractions.

Currently, the scheme is in its second phase, the options selection stage. Tipperary County Council is tasked with determining a route and is consulting with local landowners whose properties may intersect the proposed path. However, the project has been on hold for an extended period while potential routes are assessed.

At the council’s January meeting, Fine Gael councillor for Ballina, Phyll Bugler, pressed the executive for an update, noting that discussions on the greenway have been ongoing without substantive progress.

“I keep asking about this at every council meeting where we have the roads directorate,” Cllr Bugler said. “Phase two of the Ballina to Dromineer Greenway, we got the options back from Transport Infrastructure Ireland in September 2024.

"Tipperary County Council is still reviewing it, but we really need to get some clarity on this. There are a lot of farmers on this route, we need to know where this is going, and how much money is going into consultants on this project.”

Cllr Bugler also raised questions regarding land owned by the ESB, which had been suggested as part of the greenway’s route along the lake. “Have you progressed the route along by the lake, the ESB land that they own? That really is the route that we should be taking,” she asked.

Council officials responded that the ESB land is unsuitable for the project. “Those ESB lands go back to when the ESB was purchasing land as part of the Shannon scheme, so it’s the edge of the lake. It’s silt and scrub, and it’s not continuous. There are little bits of outlets and inlets and beaches, and it doesn’t join up to a route,” the councillor was told.

The outlook for the Ballina to Dromineer greenway now appears unlikely, with TII and the council needing to reconsider the project’s feasibility. Speaking to the Tipperary Star, Cllr Bugler elaborated on the challenges.

“Back along we had a public meeting with the local farmers because they were afraid land would be taken off of them, and they gave us different routes going up towards the Millennium Cross, but the terrain up there is very steep,” she said.

“At the recent council meeting, John Nolan, the chief engineer, stated this greenway is really a non-runner because the slopes can only be at a certain gradient to allow for a greenway, so it does look like the greenway is not going to go ahead.

We might be able to get sections of it, maybe like a five-kilometre stretch, but we will not get the full greenway at this point in time all the way from Ballina to Dromineer,” she said.

Cllr Bugler emphasised the difficulties of navigating  the route alongside the main road. “No matter how you work the route, it’s just not feasible to get it from Ballina to Dromineer.

If you were to make a route along the main road, you’re going through farmers’ land, which would be a very difficult process. You have strong dairy farmers along there from Ballina to Portroe, and every inch of grass is important for them.”

Despite the obstacles, the councillor noted the local appetite for the project. “The reaction locally is the tourism people would love it, and the town of Ballina itself would love it. It would bring massive tourism. Greenways attract huge tourism, but we just don’t seem to be able to get it. Our topography is just not suitable.”

On the question of whether resources have been wasted, Cllr Bugler expressed frustration with the pace of the project. “The feedback has been very slow coming back.

They had one of four routes. Every council meeting I had to beg for information. This has been going on for the bones of three years. I have been on about this issue not to be wasting anymore consultancy money. Tell us is it a runner or not a runner, she stated.”

The greenway, once viewed as a potential boost to regional tourism and recreational infrastructure, now faces a period of uncertainty as officials reassess the project. 

For now, the future of the Ballina to Dromineer greenway remains in doubt. Given the combination of steep terrain, fragmented land ownership, and logistical challenges, it appears unlikely that a continuous route will be delivered in the near future. 

While small sections may still be developed, the full 24-kilometre path connecting the two towns seems at present, beyond reach.

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