Sir, – I fully agree with the idea of opening up walking trails throughout rural Ireland. Both from the point of view of encouraging tourism and also to enable people to get out and enjoy their local area. However, I have worked for the farming community for the last 35 years and I have seen at first hand how farmers have suffered at the hands of sections of the non-farming community.
A large proportion of farmers who have land anywhere close to urban areas suffer from unbelievable amounts of rubbish being dumped on their land. They have to put up with trespassers of every age, from small children upwards, who come in with dogs, quad bikes, motor bikes, stolen cars and alcohol. They disturb and injure livestock, damage crops, tear down fences, leave gates open and can be abusive to the landowners. Even farmers who live away from urban areas are not immune. Some areas are popular haunts for men, who walk through farmland with packs of dogs, usually lurchers or terriers type, causing chaos. So while I would love to see the “keep out” signs disappearing, I fully understand why they are there. – Yours, etc,
BOB TWIGG,
Kilmeaden,
Co Waterford.
Sir, – Debate on important issues often (and increasingly) appears better teased out on this page than in Dáil Éireann, and the ongoing debate on walkers, cyclists and tourism bears this out. However, Robert Dowds's contribution (December 20th) might have been better kept to the floor of the Dáil where it might garner him some kudos from fellow politicians, because it adds little to the real debate here.
As a long-time campaigner for tourism infrastructure, specifically for a linked network of trails that would attract the huge and growing market of Irish and foreign cyclists and long-distance walkers, I have always recognised that forcing this infrastructure through private property is not the answer. While the situation in the UK and elsewhere is very far ahead of here in terms of access and trails, there are differences that are important. Farms here are typically small, residential, and farmed by owners; many such landowners do not want open access and nobody should force it on them. Unwilling participants in any measure designed to boost economic activity in rural areas will create planned failure in any such initiative. It won’t work, because the landowners will ensure that it doesn’t.
If TDs like Robert Dowds want to help, they need to deal with issues such as were raised by Tadgh Ó Foghlu (December 20th), concerning the often open hostility to initiatives to develop an adequate trail network on publicly owned property. Squatters who want to take over publicly owned routes like disused rail lines or canal and river navigation towpaths need to be dealt with firmly by lawmakers and politicians alike. The disused rail line from Claremorris to Collooney is disappearing a piece at a time behind post and rail fences and barbed wire. Robert Dowds should try to deal with these problems, and not spend his time chasing rainbows. Rural tourism can be the saviour of rural communities, if it is sustainable and well planned, but only if it has the support of the local people who will eventually benefit from it.
The people who oppose such initiatives for reasons of naked greed need to be firmly dealt with, but ramming new access laws down their throats is not the answer. – Yours, etc,
JOHN MULLIGAN,
Boyle,
Co Roscommon.
A chara, – Your editorial (December 16th) and related letters presume an absence of trails giving access to the countryside. The true situation is very different. A nationwide network of walking trails has developed over the past 30 years (see irishtrails.ie, the website of the Irish Sports Council and the National Trails Office).
The site records hundreds of walking and cycling trails, including 44 medium-distance and long-distance walking trails, all marked and signposted, registered and subject to regular inspection. This is the result of the ongoing co-operation of landowners and initially the work of community and rural development bodies, supplemented more recently by local authorities, Fáilte Ireland funding, the work of Comhairle na Tuaithe and State initiatives such as the community employment schemes, rural social schemes, the walks scheme and the network of rural recreation officers, with technical and advisory back-up from the Irish Sports Council and the National Trails Office.
The trail with which I am most familiar is the Kerry Way, which circuits the Iveragh peninsula. The basic circuit is 190km in length, allowing for a good nine days of walking or hiking. Largely based on old highways, Mass paths and butter roads, it has been described as a walk through history.
And that’s only one example of unhindered access. Anyone wishing to know the true situation should refer to the Irish trails website. – Is mise,
SEÁN Ó SÚILLEABHÁIN,
Walk Trails Ireland,
Killorglin, Co Kerry.
Sir, – In response to Justin MacCarthy (December 20th), we have to say that he’s partly correct when he says that our “politicians have scant interest in either activity”. I’m aware that some TDs actually find the time to walk and cycle, such as Eric Byrne and Ruairí Quinn (Labour), Minister of State Jimmy Deenihan (Fine Gael) and none other than An Taoiseach.
You also published a letter from Robert Dowds TD, who mentions his Access to the Countryside Bill, which has been languishing in the Oireachtas environment committee for 18 months. Keep Ireland Open supports this Bill and we would ask TDs and Senators to nail their colours to the mast and publicly support this Bill. – Yours, etc,
ROGER GARLAND,
Keep Ireland Open,
Dublin 14.