Sir, – Noel Hogan (September 7th) makes a logical and valid point about the potential use of the canal banks as safe cycleways with huge tourism potential.
There is already a proposal with Government to develop trails cheaply and quickly along the canals as part of a national network, and the canal owner, Waterways Ireland, supports the initiative.
Suitable funds are also available through EU funding schemes for cycling infrastructure.
The proposal includes connecting the canals to the west and southwest by means of minor roads and cycle tracks on disused railway lines, but herein lies the rub – politicians seem unwilling to explain to the vociferous pro-rail lobby that the trains are not coming back any time soon, even though cycleways can preserve such routes in public ownership until such time as rail links become viable.
Doing nothing is easier, it seems, as well as being a safer political option. – Yours, etc,
Sir, – Noel Hogan correctly identifies the huge potential that the Royal Canal and Grand Canal possess in terms of tourism development. In addition to this, the canals provide an opportunity for the western suburbs of Dublin to have a safe, traffic-free cycle route for commuters.
While much progress has been made on the towpath of the Grand Canal, the Royal Canal towpath remains quite undeveloped and, in places, dangerous. This is particularly the case on the “deep-sinking” on the section between Castleknock and Porterstown (Keenan Bridge).
Despite a welcome commitment by Waterways Ireland earlier this year to upgrade certain sections of the Royal Canal towpath in Dublin 15, no commitment has been made to upgrade the key section between Castleknock and Porterstown.
In January this year, the Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar stated that “the section along the ‘deep-sinking’ between Porterstown and Castleknock will be upgraded at a later date as resources allow”.
The provision of funding for this pivotal section would allow for the unlocking of the huge touristic, recreational and commuter potential that Noel Hogan rightly identifies. – Yours, etc,