Wicklow greenway’s rejection fuels Oireachtas row on national policy
The Wicklow PeopleThe Blessington Greenway, once promoted as a major tourism asset for west Wicklow, has now become a case study in how greenway projects can falter when environmental concerns and landowner relations collide.
The refusal of planning permission has intensified scrutiny of Wicklow County Council as two further routes move through early stages of development.
At a recent meeting of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food, members challenged Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) on how greenways are being advanced.
The Blessington Greenway was used as an example of the tensions emerging nationwide.
Senator Eileen Lynch, speaking about the experience of landowners in her constituency, said the same pattern was visible in Wicklow, where farmers felt blindsided by route proposals.
She said that the situation was “turning neighbour against neighbour”.
She referenced the Blessington Greenway refusal as evidence that councils were not engaging early enough or addressing local concerns properly.
Her comments were echoed by Senator Joanne Collins, who pointed to the Blessington decision as an example of why farmers question whether greenways should be treated like essential infrastructure.
“For the greater good, you have to weigh it out,” she said, arguing that taking farmland for a recreational amenity, particularly one that had already failed planning in Wicklow, raised serious questions about fairness and necessity.
Committee cathaoirleach Aindrias Moynihan reinforced the point, saying landowners across the country were reporting the same experience: “They say it is a weapon placed on the table very early in the negotiation.”
His remarks were widely interpreted as applying to Blessington, where farmers said they first learned their land was being considered when draft maps appeared publicly.
An artist’s interpretation of the Wicklow town to Greystones Greenway.
An Bord Pleanála, as it was at the time, rejected the proposals in late 2024 due to its potential impact on the Poulaphouca Reservoir Special Protection Area, including risks to overwintering greylag geese and concerns about water quality in a drinking‑water catchment.
The board concluded that the development “could not be ruled out as having a significant effect” on the protected site.
TII chief executive Lorcan O’Connor attempted to defend the process, insisting that CPOs were not intended to be used prematurely.
“It is not designed to be that way,” he said, but conceded that the perception was widespread. He also acknowledged that the Blessington refusal had highlighted the need to revisit how the Code of Best Practice for greenways is implemented.
The preferred route for the new Arklow to Shillelagh Greenway in Wicklow.
Elsewhere in Wicklow, the Greystones‑to‑Wicklow Greenway, a coastal route with strong public support, is still in development, but landowners and councillors along the proposed corridor have already raised concerns about privacy, access and the potential use of CPOs.
Further south, the Arklow‑to‑Shillelagh Greenway, which would follow parts of the old railway line faces its own challenges. While some sections of the former rail corridor remain intact, others have been absorbed into farmland over generations.
Farmers along the route have asked whether the council intends to reclaim those lands and how CPOs might be used.
The committee emphasised that public land should be prioritised,.
With the Department of Transport now reviewing the national greenway strategy, Wicklow County Council has indicated it is following the required process and that consultation will continue as each project develops.