Described as a development with the potential to become the envy of every other town and county in the country, every effort is being made to advance plans for a new greenway running from Torc to Dinis in Killarney National Park, a meeting of Killarney Municipal District Council has been told.
Following a request from Cllr John O’Donoghue for an update on the project, council officials said an environmental evaluation of the sensitive area is underway and consultants Malachy Walsh & Partners have been appointed to conduct a process to identify the preferred route and devise a design for the project.
Killarney Municipal District Engineer, John Ahern, said the council, Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) and the National Parks and Wildlife Service are all involved and in regular contact and they all want the development to materialise as soon as possible.
“There is a lot of movement in the background,” he said.
TII has outlined that part funding will be made available provided the project is in accordance with current design standards and complies with the public spending code and appropriate project management guidelines.
Cllr O’Donoghue said the project will be “a glorious addition” and it would provide a safe walking and cycling route with views that would rival anything in the world.
“It is vital that it doesn’t lose momentum,” he said.
Cllr O’Donoghue initially proposed in 2021 that a new walkway and cycleway be provided from the back entrance to Dinis towards Torc, off the N71 Killarney to Kenmare road.
The proposal is for it to run from the existing Dinis car park to the Torc Waterfall car park and it would complete a Muckross loop.
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