130km Royal Canal Greenway officially opens next month

The Royal Canal Greenway, which is set to give Longwood, Enfield and other towns along its route a major tourism boost, will be officially launched next month.

The Royal Canal Greenway is a long-distance walking and cycling trail that follows the towpath of the canal from Dublin's docklands to Clondra in county Longford, passing through Kilcock, Longwood and Enfield.

It will be launched - subject to Covid 5km travel restrictions - with the promotion tag “One Trail, Endless Discoveries” and at 130km it is the longest walkway in Ireland and follows on the success of the Western Greenway in Mayo and the Waterford Greenway.

“There is huge potential for Longwood and Enfield to develop hospitality and service enterprises to take advantage of the large number of visitors who will be using this new amenity” said Cllr Noel French." Enfield will be a trailhead which will provide all visitor services including parking, toilets, accommodation, bike hire, food and public transport. "Longwood will be an access point providing rest areas and a stop-off point."

Boyne Valley Tourism organized a recent workshop for local tourism business with presentations from Irish Waterways and Meath Local Enterprise Board. Sharon Lavin from Waterways Ireland told the workshop that the Western Greenway in Mayo had 45,000 visitors in the first year, added €7 million to the local economy and provided 38 new full-time jobs. The average number of visitors on the Western Greenway has grown to 250,000 per annum. In the first year of the Waterford Greenway the route attracted nearly 250,000 with more than 105,000 walkers and more than 141,000 cyclists.

RTE’s Nationwide will be filming along the canal shortly and a whole programme will be devoted to the Royal Canal Greenway in March. A launch video is also in production.

Cllr French welcomed the new maps and information boards which are to be erected soon at Longwood, Enfield and Hill of Down. "I am delighted that the Ribbontail Lane was completed last year to allow access to Longwood Village for those using the canal route.

"The Royal Canal Greenway provides a huge tourism potential for south Meath offering opportunities for cycle hire, guided tours, hospitality and accommodation."

Cllr French paid tribute to the work of Waterways Ireland who are the main force behind the project. The greenway project has seen infrastructure such as benches, signage, fences and improved pavement installed. The County Councils of Westmeath, Meath, Kildare and Longford have all been involved in the development of the walkway and have committed €35,000 apiece to provide a fund to promote the Royal Canal Greenway, both nationally and internationally, as part of a memorandum of understanding drawn up between them and Waterways Ireland. Cllr French paid tribute to those who had worked over many decades to preserve and develop the canal.

Enfield Harbour, which includes a car park, picnic area, mooring and slipway facilities, was developed by the Royal Canal Amenity Group in association with the Enfield Community Council, Enfield Development Association and Enfield Environmental Group/Tidy Towns.