Planned Belclare to Murrisk Greenway not a straightforward proposal
The Belclare to Murrisk Community Committee has accused Mayo County Council and Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) of using “scare tactics” to dismiss the idea of developing the new greenway along the R335 road.
The proposed Belclare to Murrisk Greenway has been a source of contention for several years, with two main route options dividing local opinion.
The emerging preferred route, would see the greenway developed off-road, running from Aughavale Cemetery past the Killadangan Lakes and Old Burial Ground before linking up with the Croagh Patrick path.
This route would cross private land, and under TII regulations, any land used for a greenway must be owned by the local authority.
As a result, farmers and landowners along the route would be required to sell their land if option one were chosen.
Many local farmers have publicly stated they will not sell willingly, saying the land in question has been passed down through generations and remains vital to their livelihoods.
This has raised concerns about the potential use of Compulsory Purchase Orders (CPOs), which allow authorities to acquire private land if owners are unwilling to sell.
The alternative option, originally listed as Option One, would follow the R335 road toward Louisburgh. Supporters say this route is more direct, avoids private farmland, and could allow the greenway’s development to be combined with long-overdue upgrades to the R335.
The R335 already has sections of a roadside cycleway, which advocates say could be integrated into the greenway.
However, at a recent meeting of the Westport–Belmullet Municipal District, officials from the Mayo National Roads Office reported that developing the greenway along the R335 could cost up to €200 million and require the CPO of 44 homes.
The Belclare to Murrisk Community Committee described those figures as “fear-mongering,” arguing that they reflect the most extreme interpretation of TII’s technical standards rather than a realistic assessment.
The committee noted that the R335 roadside option was originally outlined in plans prepared by Lally Chartered Engineers for Mayo County Council in 2021.
However, in September of that year, TII assumed responsibility for national greenway projects, introducing stricter design and safety standards that meant the R335 route, as initially planned, no longer met the new requirements.
Despite this, the committee maintains that the R335 route could still be viable if Mayo County Council formally requests a deviation from the full TII standards.
Under TII guidelines, “relaxations” and “departures” from standard are allowed where: “it may not be possible to provide minimum design parameters owing to site constraints, economic constraints, or environmental constraints.”
In such cases, a “relaxation” of the standards might be justified. Any plans for this must: “be assessed in terms of their effects on the economic worth of the scheme, the environment, and the safety of the user.”
Any such deviation would need to still ensure public safety, economic justification, and require approval from a TII Senior Engineering Inspector.
These provisions have recently gained attention following a comment made by Taoiseach Micheál Martin in the Dáil.
Taoiseach urged TII to “ease up on the spec” when acquiring land through CPOs for greenway projects, warning that once a project enters the CPO process, “you’re in trouble in terms of any greenway.”
He stressed that Ireland “doesn’t need super spec” or “intrusions on the landscape,” calling instead for more sensitive, community-led solutions that protect biodiversity and respect local heritage.
Local councillors, including several from the Westport–Belmullet area, have echoed the Taoiseach’s comments, saying that a lower-spec, roadside design could deliver a safe, affordable, and community-supported route without the need for CPOs.
The Belclare to Murrisk Committee is now calling on Mayo County Council to apply for a formal deviation from the TII standards and revive the 2021 R335 plan, arguing that a “common-sense” approach is needed to deliver a greenway that works for everyone.
This article has been funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.