Calls to create cycleway from Carrickboy to Ballycloughan

Cllr Paul Ross has called on Longford County Council to seek funding to install a footpath or cycleway from Carrickboy village to Ballycloughan village to “connect these two integrated communities”.

At last week’s meeting of Ballymahon Municipal District, Cllr Ross stated that there is “a new emphasis on funding for cycleways and walkways, so it’s time to push this”.

A second motion put forward by Cllr Paul Ross last week called on Longford County Council to seek to connect the Ardagh Mountain walk down to Garrycam and into Drumming, Ballycloughan and connect back to Ardagh village by the Lyanmore Road.

“This would provide a fabulous tourist attraction for the area,” he said.

“It would be a continuation of the walk up the Ardagh mountain, which is being used a lot now for walks.”

Cllr Mick Cahill supported this motion, stating that the Ardagh Mountain walk is “very much used at the moment, with a lot of people up and down the hill every day”.

Director of Services John McKeon explained that there were no funding schemes available for such works at this point in time.

“We have a regeneration team that is very successful at tracing funds as they become available,” he said.

Area Engineer Paul Newell estimated that a cycle or walkway from Carrickboy to Ballycloughan would cost €700,000, including land, drainage, fencing and lighting.

“It has been added to the list but it’s fairly ambitious for €700,000,” he said, noting that this project would be competing with a number of others.

For the Ardagh Moutain proposal, Mr Newell stated that there was no funding available, but agreed that the regeneration team would be able to look out for funding opportunities.