Laois Greenway work would put 'heavy pressure' on Kilkenny
Laois County Council would put ‘heavy pressure’ on Kilkenny if it converted an old train line into a greenway connecting a Laois heritage town to a medieval marble city.
That’s the view of a county councillor who tabled a motion at a recent meeting with officials that called for a feasibility study of a greenway from the old Abbeyleix railway station to Kilkenny city along a stretch of the old Portlaoise to Kilkenny line.
While Laois County Council has not received any money of ouf more than €100 million allocated for Greenways in the past two years, Cllr Ollie Clooney wants the County Council to complete the Abbeyleix to Attanagh section.
“If we got this done we would put heavy pressure on the Kilkenny to go the rest of the way. What a resource it would be. The local elections are coming and this is going to be on my manifesto. I am going to try everything in my power to get this done,” he said.
Cllr John King and Cllr James Kelly supported.
Paul McLoughlin, Senior Engineer, Roads, issued a written reply.
“Initially Laois Council will examine the feasibility of Greenways within County Laois along the old railway line. Should these initial studies show potential for such a route the opportunity to extend beyond Laois could be explored with Kilkenny County Council as the majority of a route between Abbeyleix and Kilkenny City would reside within County Kilkenny,” he said.
A total of €63m for the development of around 70 Greenway projects around Ireland in 2023 under the Transport Infrastructure Ireland Grant Allocation to Local Authorities for National Roads and Greenways. Just over €54 million was allocated in 2022.
None of this money was allocated to Laois in either year for the planning or construction of Greenways.
Kilkenny County Council was allocated €100,000 for South East Greenway in 2023.
Transport Infrastructure Ireland says the Greenways Programme comprises Greenways protection and renewal, and new Greenways. It says most greenways projects are relatively straight-forward in engineering terms with some exceptions,
such as the bridge in Athlone crossing the Shannon.
For 2023 it is anticipated that approximately half of the total allocation for greenways will be spent on projects at or starting construction, while the remainder will mostly be spent on projects at various stages of planning.
The old Laois Kilkenny train line opened in 1867, when the Waterford & Kilkenny Railway extended its line northwards through Abbeyleix, Durrow, and on to Portlaoise, following the route of the Kilkenny Junction Railway operated by the Great Southern & Western Railway architecture. It closed in 1962.
The issue was raised at the September meeting of the Borris-in-Ossory Mountmellick Municipal District meeting.