Defence Forces and Galway City Council hail ‘shared ambition’ to restore walkway along Renmore Barracks
Defence Minister Helen McEntee said there is a “shared ambition” to re-open the community walkway in Renmore, Co Galway.
An agreement has been reached between the Department of Defence, the Defence Forces and Galway City Council to facilitate the reopening of the Renmore walkway, which was closed by the Army Barracks for several years due to security and safety concerns.
The route links Eyre Square with Renmore and Ballyloughane via the railway line path near Liam Mellows Hurling Club. While around 150 metres of the pathway lies outside the barracks walls, a section remains on land owned by Renmore Barracks.
Galway City Council owns a portion of the land sitting between Liam Mellows GAA and the Renmore barracks.
The Defence Forces previously closed the route to prevent unauthorised access to military property and to safeguard personnel, equipment and sensitive information.
In 2022, Galway City Council proposed a permeability route as part of plans for a 2.5km walking and cycling corridor along the line. However, the Defence Forces objected to the proposal and subsequently erected fencing to block access to the pathway.
Since then, local politicians and community groups have continued to press for a solution that would allow the popular walking route to reopen.
Speaking to the Irish Independent during the opening of the newly retrofitted Government office building, Áras an tSáile, in Renmore this week, Minister McEntee said there was a clear commitment among all governing bodies to restore public access.
“There’s a shared ambition between the Department of Defence, Defence Forces but also the local authority there that we would be able to reopen it, perhaps not in its previous format because there have been issues and concerns naturally raised within the Defence Forces, but that another solution would be found,” she said.
“At this stage, where we’re at is agreement between the local authority and the Defence Forces that that will happen.”
Minister McEntee said work on a masterplan for Renmore Barracks is expected to begin next year and that the future of the walkway will form part of those discussions.
“It’s a fantastic amenity that should be available for the community and I think we all want to see it open as quickly as possible,” she added.