‘It’s all about the experience and the story’ - benefits of Royal Canal Greenway laid out

The benefits awaiting communities along the 130km route of the proposed new Royal Canal Greenway were highlighted when staff of Waterways Ireland brief members of Meath County Council at their monthly meeting last week.

The €12million greenway – which has 22km running through Meath – is ready to be launched on 24 March and according to promoters demand for the new recreation and tourism project is already building up.

The route runs from Maynooth to Clondara, where the Royal joins the Shannon, and into Longford town along Longford Branch, hitting Enfield and Mullingar on its way.

Thirteen individual journeys are marked out on the route including Kilcock (6 kilometres), Enfield (13), Longwood (10), Killucan (15), McNead’s Bridge (4), Mullingar (12), Coolnahay (11), Ballynacarrigy (8), Abbeyshrule (9), Ballymahon (9), Keenagh (9), Cloondara (15), Longford (15).

The Covid-19 crisis has shifted consumer habits to a greater appreciation of outdoor pursuits, fresh air and spending time outside with others. There is also a greater appreciation for holidays at home, and for simple pleasures.

Sharon Lavin, head of Marketing and Communiations, Waterways Ireland, stressed the benefits of the greenways, pointing to the success of the projects the Great Western Greenway and the Waterford Greenway.

In its first year of operation, the Western project attracted 45,000 visitors, injected €7m to the local economy and created 38 new full-time jobs.

In its more recent years it had an average of 250,000 visitors a year and led to new businesses including bike hire, guided tours, hospitality (food and drink, accommodation, taxi services).

These same services have provided a boom in trade in the Waterford Greenway, where local interests claim that it has transformed the county.

In that part of the country, the average spend per visitor was €28.50; 80 per cent of visitors stayed in paid accommodation; the bulk of visitors were families; and 91 per cent planned a loop or return journey to the starting point.

In 2020 there were 85,791 journeys at Enfield (27,365 of them in August) and there were 23,212 journeys in Longwood.

Ms Lavin said that greenways were inspirational and creative – “it’s all about the experience and the story” – but added there were huge opportunities for service providers (cycle hire, walking guides), and visitor services (places to stay, eat and go, reasons to stay longer).

She said the success of the greenway depended on how people could be influenced at the pre-planning for journeys, entertaining them while they are there and creating a memorable visit.

Cllr Aisling Dempsey, chairperson of Boyne Valley Tourism, said the greenway had huge potential and the tourism body would be highlighting the business opportunities of the greenway to people along the route.

"I am calling on any local businesses or entrepreneurs who think they could benefit and enhance from this amenity to get in touch with me. Waterways Ireland can enter commercial agreements with business owners who wish to set up on tow paths such as hospitality/food services," she said.

Cllr Fox said that the greenway was “definitely a massive piece of tourism and an asset to all the places along its route”. He quoted the example of a small village in Waterford – Kilmacow – which he said “would have died but for the greenway”.

He added that the Royal Canal Greenway had huge potential because of the fact that Dublin, with a population of 1.5 million, was on its doorstep.

Cllrs Noel French, Ronan Moore, Wayne Harding and Alan Tobin also welcomed the introduction of the greenway.