Greenways Ireland – €67m, 60 Schemes and the Route Pipeline

Greenways Ireland represents one of the largest sustained investments in rural infrastructure the state has ever undertaken. In 2025, the government allocated €67 million to greenway development through Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), with approximately 24km of new routes delivered and 60 further schemes progressing through planning and design. This guide covers the full scale of Ireland’s greenway programme – from funding mechanisms and delivery bodies to economic impact, construction pipeline and the long-term vision for a 3,500km National Cycle Network.

🏗️ How Greenway Funding Works in Ireland

Ireland’s greenway programme is funded through the Department of Transport and delivered by Transport Infrastructure Ireland in partnership with local authorities. TII acts as the approving authority for greenway projects, overseeing everything from initial feasibility studies to construction and completion. The annual allocation covers new builds, route extensions, planning and design work, and asset protection on existing greenways.

In 2025, the €67 million greenway allocation was announced by Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien alongside ministers of state Sean Canney and Jerry Buttimer. This figure sits within a broader €360 million annual commitment to walking and cycling infrastructure, which also includes approximately €293 million allocated through the National Transport Authority for urban active travel projects. The combined figure has been locked in under the National Development Plan Transport Sectoral Plan, published in November 2025, with funding guaranteed through to 2030.

The 2025 allocation was slightly down from the €72 million made available for 70 greenway projects in 2024, but remains broadly consistent with annual spending levels. TII distributes the funding to local authorities on a project-by-project basis, with each scheme subject to detailed cost-benefit analysis and compliance with national planning guidelines.

📐 The National Cycle Network Vision

At the heart of Ireland’s greenway strategy sits the National Cycle Network, a plan to create 3,500km of cycling corridors connecting cities and towns across the country. The network aims to provide safe, off-road routes that serve both transport and recreation purposes, linking urban centres with rural communities and tourist destinations.

The 2025 TII allocation specifically references the National Cycle Network as a priority, with funding directed towards progressing route identification, feasibility studies and construction across the 3,500km target. The ambition is to create a connected web of greenways and protected cycling infrastructure comparable to networks in the Netherlands and Denmark, where cycling accounts for a far larger share of daily transport.

Achieving 3,500km will require sustained investment over multiple government cycles. The current pipeline of 60 schemes in planning and design represents the next wave of route construction, but the total network will take decades to complete at current delivery rates. TII expects cumulative investment in greenways to reach approximately €940 million by 2040.

🚧 Routes Under Construction and in Planning

The greenway construction pipeline covers projects at every stage from early feasibility through to imminent opening. In 2025, further sections of the Grand Canal Greenway and the South East Greenway were expected to open, while construction continued on the South Kerry Greenway and several other routes across the country.

Key Routes Currently Operational

Ireland’s existing greenway network includes several flagship routes that have demonstrated the economic and social case for continued investment. The Great Western Greenway in County Mayo stretches 42km from Westport to Achill along the former Midland Great Western Railway line, attracting over 250,000 users annually and generating approximately €38.9 million for the local economy each year while supporting 200 direct jobs. The route cost just €5.7 million to build, delivering a payback period of roughly six years.

The Waterford Greenway runs 46km from Waterford city to Dungarvan along a former railway corridor, and attracted an estimated 250,000 users in its first nine months of operation after opening in March 2017. The route has been credited with transforming Waterford’s tourism profile, turning it into a genuine visitor destination for the first time. The Royal Canal Greenway extends approximately 130km from Dublin to Longford, while the Old Rail Trail covers 40km through Westmeath between Mullingar and Athlone.

Schemes in the 2025 Pipeline

The 60 schemes funded for planning and design in 2025 include several high-profile projects. The Fingal Coastal Way will run along the north Dublin coast from Donabate towards Balbriggan, with Minister O’Brien noting his personal anticipation of the Broadmeadow Greenway completion expected in 2026. The Limerick to Scarriff greenway will open up a new east Clare corridor, while the Burtonport to Letterkenny Greenway will provide a major new route through Donegal.

The Arklow to Shillelagh Greenway in Wicklow, the Dodder Greenway running 20km through south Dublin, and extensions to the Grand Canal Greenway are all progressing through various planning stages. A particularly significant cross-border project is the North West Greenway, a 46.5km route funded by €23.8 million from the EU Interreg programme, connecting communities across the border region.

The South Kerry Greenway has been one of the most anticipated and contentious projects, with its first 3km section progressing towards opening. When complete, it will provide a spectacular coastal route in one of Ireland’s most visited tourism regions.

💰 Economic Impact and Tourism Returns

The economic case for greenway investment is now well established through multiple impact studies. Greenways deliver returns that extend far beyond the route itself, generating spending in accommodation, food, bike hire, and local retail across the communities they connect.

The Great Western Greenway’s economic impact assessment in 2016 showed the route generating €38.9 million annually for the local economy from 484,000 trips by 265,000 users, while supporting 200 direct jobs and an estimated 710 indirect positions. Domestic tourists contributed €737,000 and non-domestic tourists €405,000 to the local area, with the original €5.7 million construction cost paid back within six years.

The Waterford Greenway delivered similar immediate impact, with its opening credited as the catalyst for Waterford achieving genuine destination status for the first time. The route’s success demonstrated that greenway infrastructure attracts not just tourists but also resident usage – 15% of surveyed users visited the Waterford Greenway daily, and 27% used it weekly.

At a national level, walking and cycling holidays have seen remarkable growth. Failte Ireland data for 2024 shows over two million overseas tourists engaged in hiking or cross-country walking during their visit, with a further 275,000 cycling – making hiking the second-largest activity market in Irish tourism. Greenways are central to this growth, providing the safe, high-quality routes that touring visitors require.

🏘️ Rural Regeneration and Community Impact

Beyond the headline tourism figures, greenways have become one of Ireland’s most effective tools for rural regeneration. Small towns along greenway routes have seen the emergence of new businesses – bike hire operators, trailhead cafes, accommodation providers, guiding services and equipment retailers – that simply would not exist without the footfall greenways generate.

Kilmacthomas in County Waterford is one of the most cited examples. The town, located roughly midway along the Waterford Greenway, saw its former workhouse converted into a bustling cafe and bike hire centre. Businesses that had struggled for years found new customers, and the town gained a sense of purpose and identity it had lacked since the decline of traditional industries.

The model works because greenways bring consistent, year-round footfall rather than seasonal tourist spikes. Local residents use them daily for walking, running and cycling, creating a baseline of activity that sustains businesses even outside peak tourist months. Community groups along greenway routes have also leveraged the greenway’s success to secure additional state funding for local projects.

Construction methods vary depending on terrain and available corridors. Many greenways follow disused railway lines, which provide ready-made level routes with minimal gradient. Others run along canal towpaths – the Royal Canal Greenway and Grand Canal Greenway both utilise Waterways Ireland towpath infrastructure. New-build sections are required where no existing corridor exists, adding cost and complexity but extending the network into areas that would otherwise remain unconnected.

🌍 How Ireland Compares Internationally

Ireland’s greenway programme is still in its early stages compared to established European networks. France has over 22,000km of dedicated cycling routes, the Netherlands maintains an integrated national cycling network exceeding 35,000km, and Germany’s system stretches beyond 40,000km. Ireland’s target of 3,500km is modest by comparison, but the pace of investment since 2020 represents a significant shift in national infrastructure priorities.

What distinguishes the Irish programme is the proven return on investment from early routes. The Great Western Greenway’s six-year payback and the Waterford Greenway’s immediate economic impact have created a compelling evidence base that few other infrastructure programmes can match. Each completed greenway strengthens the case for the next, creating a positive cycle of investment, evidence and political support that is accelerating delivery. The EuroVelo network, which maps long-distance cycling routes across Europe, already identifies several Irish greenway corridors as part of its continental network, connecting Ireland’s routes to the broader European cycling tourism market.

🔮 Challenges and What Comes Next

Despite strong political support and proven economic returns, Ireland’s greenway programme faces several challenges. Planning objections from landowners remain a significant barrier, particularly in rural areas where routes cross private agricultural land. The South Kerry Greenway spent years navigating legal challenges before construction could begin, and similar delays affect projects across the country.

Delivery capacity is another constraint. Local authorities are responsible for managing greenway construction in their areas, and not all councils have the same level of engineering expertise or project management experience. TII provides oversight and technical guidance, but the pace of delivery ultimately depends on local capacity and political will.

There is also the question of maintenance. As the greenway network expands, the cost of keeping routes in good condition will grow. Surface quality is critical to user experience and safety, and greenways built to a high standard – like the Waterford Greenway’s fully surfaced tarmac route – require ongoing investment to maintain. TII allocated €3 million for asset protection and renewal in 2025, a figure that will need to increase as the network grows. Storm damage, vegetation management and surface repairs are recurring costs that must be factored into long-term planning.

Land access remains the single greatest practical challenge. Unlike in many European countries, Ireland has no general right to roam across private land. Greenway routes must secure agreement from every landowner along the corridor, a process that can take years of negotiation. The Great Western Greenway required agreements with 161 separate landowners, and the Waterford Greenway needed approximately 120. Where agreement cannot be reached, compulsory purchase orders are available but add significant time and cost to projects.

Looking ahead, the commitment of €360 million per year through to 2030 provides the financial certainty the programme needs. The pipeline of 60 schemes in planning suggests that delivery will accelerate in coming years as projects move from design to construction. The long-term vision of a 3,500km National Cycle Network remains ambitious, but each new route opened strengthens the economic and political case for continued investment.

Ireland’s greenway programme has moved from a handful of pioneering routes to a major national infrastructure programme in barely a decade. The Wild Atlantic Way region, walking trail networks and outdoor recreation strategy all intersect with the greenway programme, creating a connected system of active travel and tourism infrastructure that is reshaping how people experience rural Ireland.