THE Tralee-Fenit Greenway was officially opened today by the Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Hildegarde Naughton TD.
It was the second Greenway she opened on Friday after she opened the 16km Listowel to Abbeyfeale Greenway earlier that morning.
Those present at the opening at the Bracker O’Regan Road entrance to the Greenway included public representatives, landowners, the Council team who worked on the project, members of Spa-Fenit Community Council and others. Rev Jim Stephens and Fr Padraig Walsh also gave a blessing to the Greenway.
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A monument by local stonemason Billy Leen at the entrance to the Greenway was also unveiled by Mayor of Tralee Mikey Sheehy and Minister Naughton. The monument features a rose and St Brendan in his boat, symbols of Tralee and Fenit.
In a joint statement, Cathaoirleach of Listowel Municipal District, Cllr Aoife Thornton and the Mayor of Tralee, Cllr Mikey Sheehy, said: “This is a historic day for the county. The opening of new two greenway routes not only enhances the reputation of Kerry as a prime location for walking and cycling infrastructure, it also greatly enhances our tourism offering as well as the local economy.
“We can look forward in anticipation to the development of a new link between these two greenways as well as the development of the South Kerry Greenway and the linking of the various routes which will enable users to enjoy the county’s beautiful landscape,” they said.
Minister of State Hildegarde Naughton said: “We have allocated approximately €60m for Greenways alone this year as well as over €285m in walking and cycling infrastructure around the country to enable people to safely choose to walk or cycle instead of using the car. The opening of these projects in Kerry today are just some of the many infrastructure schemes we are committed to progressing over the lifetime of the Government.
Chief Executive of Kerry County Council, Moira Murrell said: “I want to acknowledge the support of the Department of Transport in funding these greenways and I want to thank local landowners and local communities for their cooperation and support. I also thank the staff of Kerry County Council who have worked for so many years to develop these essential amenities.”
The new projects in Kerry were funded by the Department of Transport and delivered by Kerry County Council and Transport Infrastructure Ireland.
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