Protect Cooley Peninsula to join national protest against CPOs on private land

Members of the Protect Cooley Peninsula group, a campaign opposed to proposed Dundalk-Carlingford Greenway routes through their gardens, fields and farms in north Louth, are to join a national protest taking place next Wednesday in Dublin.

Landowners and homeowners from across Ireland will gather outside the Dáil on Wednesday 12 November, calling for an end to the use of Compulsory Purchase Orders (CPOs) for non essential infrastructure such as greenways and cycleways. 

The planned peaceful demonstration, supported by groups from several counties, is planned to be a show of unity among communities who have say they have faced uncertainty, lack of transparency, and threats to their property rights under current greenway development processes. 

“We are not against greenways. We welcome initiatives that promote tourism and active travel. But using CPOs to forcibly take private land for non-essential infrastructure is wrong,” said a spokesperson for the National Greenway Action Association.  

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Groups from multiple counties have joined forces to form a National Greenway Action Association committed to peaceful advocacy and genuine community engagement. “This isn’t about politics - it’s about people, their future, their livelihoods,” the spokesperson added. 

“We’re calling for an immediate review of the Greenway Code of Practice with all greenway  projects put on hold until a revised Code is agreed. We deserve meaningful consultation as a  key stakeholder in greenway development.” 

As the Taoiseach, Micheál Martin himself said “Once you get into CPO, you’re in trouble in terms  of any greenway”. On behalf of all landowners on proposed greenway routes, we are calling for  the use of CPOs for greenways to be removed from the Code of Practice.  

The demonstration will take place between 9.30am - 12 noon, outside Leinster House, Dublin, on Wednesday 12 November 2025 to coincide with an Oireachtas Transport Committee meeting on Active Travel/Greenways.