A TRALEE Municipal District Councillor said access points need to be opened along the Tralee Fenit Greenway for the safety of children who wish to cycle to school.

In a motion before the meeting of Municipal District District on Monday, Sinn Féin Cllr. Cathal Foley asked the Council provide an update on requests by residents living along the route of the Greenway for safe access and egress as well as an update on the originally proposed access points.

He was told by Council Management that the Local Authority are progressing an additional access to the Tralee/ Fenit Greenway from the L2004 (North of The Oyster Tavern).

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It is anticipated that the Part 8 planning process/ public consultation will commence in Q2 2024. Consultation is also ongoing with landowners about enhancing existing access points and identifying further access points along the route.

Cllr Foley said the Greenway urgently needs more access points to enable children of residents living along the route to travel to school safely. He said every effort needs to be made to get these open for residents.

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THE Fenit Wild Mind Nature Festival 2023 will preview the Digimack Video Productions documentary ‘Tralee to Fenit Railway turned Greenway: Steam Trains to Green Trails’ on Sunday, April 23 at 5.30pm at a marquee near the Greenway.

The documentary brings the rail history of the Tralee-Fenit line to life. Having operated for close to 100 years the old rail line is steeped in history and heritage and the viewer will learn about the passenger traffic, the goods transported, and the lives and livelihoods touched by the rail line.

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The producer and cinematography is by James McCarthy, with camera by Catherine McCarthy. The narrator is Caroline O’Callaghan and scriptwriter Trisha O’Halloran. see preview below.

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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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THE Tralee-Fenit Greenway will be fully accessible to the public from 2pm this Saturday, according to a spokesperson from Kerry County Council.

The 11.3km Greenway was scheduled to open by the end of September but had been delayed for final works. The highly-anticipated facility is set to provide a boost to tourism in the Tralee and Fenit areas.

In time, it will link with a proposed Greenway from Ardfert to Listowel, where the North Kerry Greenway from Listowel to Abbeyfeale opened just last week.

It will also link with a Greenway from Spa village along the coastline to Cockleshell Road in Tralee and down to the town via the canal walkway. This is expected to be completed next year.

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A TOUCAN crossing is to be introduced on Bracker O’Regan as a link between the ‘Skinny Mile’ section and the other side of the Tralee-Fenit greenway at Mounthawk.

A Toucan crossing (two‐can‐cross) is a signalised crossing facility shared by cyclists and pedestrians and appropriate where a cycleway / greenway crosses a public road.

Councillors agreed to approve the crossing at the meeting of Tralee Municipal District of Kerry County Council on Tuesday.

It will be a signalised crossing, four metres wide and have associated road markings. Nine observations/representations regarding the plan were made during the public consultation process.

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THE opening of the first phase of the Tralee-Fenit Greenway took place this afternoon, when the Fenit-Spa leg of the greenway was opened to cyclists and walkers.

Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan TD joined Minister for Education, Norma Foley TD, Mayor of Tralee, Cllr Johnnie Wall and Cathaoirleach of Kerry County Council, Cllr Jimmy Moloney to launch the opening of the first 6.5km of greenway, allowing pedestrians and cyclists travel from Fenit to Spa and back again. The remainder of the greenway is expected to open in Autumn.

The entire 11.3 km greenway will encompass the already constructed stretch from Tralee Railway Station to the Bracker O’Regan Road.

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Welcoming the project, Mayor of Tralee, Cllr Johnnie Wall praised the work carried out by Kerry County Council staff on the project.

“It is something that has been in the pipeline for many years and to see it coming to fruition is fantastic,” he said.

“Great credit must go to everyone involved, including the Council staff who built the greenway, the landowners for their cooperation, and the Department of Transport and TII for funding the project. This, along with current and future Greenway projects in the county will be hugely beneficial for local and visitor alike and I look forward to the rest of the Greenway opening in Autumn.”

Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan said: “The Tralee to Fenit Greenway is another great example of the role Greenways can plan in connecting communities in a sustainable manner.

“This new infrastructure from Fenit to Spa is accessible to all and allows those living on this route to commute safely to school, work or other amenities by foot or bike. It also provides an attractive amenity for visitors to the area and I look forward to the delivery of the rest of the Greenway which will further support tourism and sustainable transport in the region.”

Minister for Education, Norma Foley TD said: “I am delighted to join my Cabinet Colleague Minister Ryan to officially open the Tralee to Fenit Greenway which will provide locals and visitors alike a wonderful opportunity to enjoy the delights of walking and cycling in beautiful, picturesque and safe surroundings, I would like to acknowledge the enormous effort put in by Kerry County Council, the landowners and the Department of Transport whose tireless endeavours have made all of this possible.

“Today’s launch marks a hugely significant day for Kerry and I look forward to the opening of the remainder of the Greenway which will further enhance and enrich the visitor experience.”

IT’S expected that another part of the Tralee-Fenit Greenway will be opened to the public this weekend.

Work is continuing apace this week on the Greenway and the section between the terminus at Fenit and the Spa is almost completed.

Minister for the Environment, Climate, Communications and Transport, Eamon Ryan will be in Kerry for a number of engagements on Thursday and Friday.

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Minister Ryan will meet local councillors at Kerry County Council buildings on Friday morning and will travel to Fenit afterwards where it is expected another part of the section of Greenway will be opened, at least as far as Kilfenora.

It will not be an official opening of the Greenway as this will take place when the project is completed later this summer.

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THE new greenway projects in County Kerry will be known and branded as the ‘Kingdom of Kerry Greenways.’

At a meeting of Kerry County Council today, councillors were presented with naming options and brand concepts for the two greenway projects which are due to open this summer.

The Tralee-Fenit and Listowel-Abbeyfeale greenways will be open to the public in the coming months.

The decision on the name of the greenways follows a stakeholder survey in relation to the two north Kerry projects which was undertaken by Kerry County Council, Fáilte Ireland and local community and business representatives.

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The survey highlighted the importance of greenways as amenities for the local community as well as their role in attracting visitors to the county.

Groups and individuals along both routes were surveyed to inform the creative process and to aid the development of distinctive branding and marketing by Zinc Design Consultants.

“The naming process was undertaken in conjunction with Fáilte Ireland. The aim of the process was to select a name for the Kerry Greenways that is distinctive, appealing, and attractive to a local, domestic and international audience,” said Niamh O’Sullivan, Head of Kerry County Council’s Tourism Unit.

“This process resulted in a wide variety of names being suggested with two names being shortlisted for consideration. The name will act as an overarching or collective name for new greenways and will apply to other greenway projects in Kerry in the coming years,” she said.

Following today’s meeting, the consultants will further refine the branding and design concepts in advance of the opening of the Tralee-Fenit and Listowel-Abbeyfeale greenways over the summer.

The Cathaoirleach of Kerry County Council, Cllr Jimmy Moloney welcomed the decision: “It is really exciting to see the design and branding concepts for the greenways coming to fruition. This is an important part of the process.

“Choosing an overarching name such as ‘Kingdom of Kerry Greenway’ allows us to seamlessly integrate future greenways into the marketing and branding of all greenways in Kerry.

“I want to thank all of the stakeholders who engaged with the consultation phase and I look forward to seeing the final brand being produced very soon,” he said.

KERRY County Council will close the Ballymakegoge (Spa to Churchill) Road to public traffic  for a three week period from the end of January.

The purpose of the road closure is to facilitate the installation of an underpass on the Tralee/ Fenit Greenway.

The road will be closed from 8am on Monday, January 31 to 6pm on Monday, February 21 (inclusive). Diversions will be clearly signposted. Local access will be provided for Emergency Services and local residents.

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Traffic travelling to Churchill / Barrow (Tralee Golf Club) from R558 Spa cab continue on R558 to Kilfenora, then take the local road L-6503 (before the Tankard Bar & Restaurant) and connect with the Churchill / Barrow road L-2006 north of the greenway.

Traffic travelling from Churchill / Barrow to R558 Spa can take the local road L-6503, north of the greenway, and connect with the R558 at Kilfenora.

THERE is a possibility that part of the Tralee-Fenit Greenway can be accessed by the public before the scheduled June opening.

At Monday’s online meeting of Kerry County Council, Fianna Fáil Cllr Mikey Sheehy enquired about making the section from Spa to Fenit accessible prior to the Greenway’s full completion.

Chief Executive of Kerry County Council, Moira Murrell, said the Council would be open to the idea and she would get back to Cllr Sheehy after consulting with Council officials about whether this was practical.

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Meanwhile, drone footage from local photographer Domnick Walsh has been posted on the Council’s social media channels showing parts of the Greenway. Have a look below…

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THE Tralee-Fenit Greenway will be opened by June of this year.

Councillors were informed of the opening date at the Tralee Municipal District meeting of Kerry County Council this morning.

Fianna Fáil Cllr Mikey Sheehy said the Greenway will an incredible tourism and community asset to the greater Tralee area.

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Tralee Chamber Alliance has welcomed the announcement and thanked the Greenway team at Kerry County Council for all of their work on this to date.

“This is a fantastic boost for the people of Tralee and North Kerry and will give visitors another reason to come to Kerry this summer, now that the date has been confirmed local businesses can start making preparations in advance,” said Colette O’Connor, Chief Executive of Tralee Chamber Alliance.

CONCERNS were expressed that parking problems at Mounthawk will be exacerbated when the Tralee-Fenit Greenway fully opens next year.

At Monday’s meeting of the Tralee Municipal District of Kerry County Council, Sinn Féin Cllr Deirdre Ferris asked were there any plans in place to allocate more parking spaces at the beginning of the Tralee to Fenit Greenway?

She was told by Council management that prior to the opening of the Tralee to Fenit Greenway the current car park in Fenit will be developed.

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However, there are no plans to provide additional car parking capacity in the vicinity of the Tralee trail head as it is anticipated that users will join the amenity at multiple access points throughout the town having departed from their accommodation or home.

Cllr Ferris said there is a huge amount of double parking in Fenit as it stands. She said there is a need to facilitate some level of parking at Mounthawk.

She said residents fear cars will block driveways and the issue needs to look at it again.

Cllr Terry O’Brien said that Fenit has some hope, Tralee side will be “a disaster”. He said the Bracker O’Regan road will be full of cars. Cllr O’Brien said there is ample land there to develop parking facilities and this needs to be looked at.

Sinn Féin Cllr Cathal Foley said the Greenway starts at Casement station in the town and this is where there should be bike-hire facilities and parking available.

Fine Gael Cllr Jim Finucane said there is plenty space at the rear of Casement Station and discussion should be held with Irish Rail with a view to developing parking there.

However, Cllr O’Brien said there is already plans for a plaza at the train station and people  can’t park in Dunnes Stores so the logical place Greenway users will go to park is Mounthawk.h

THE Public consultation process on the construction of an underpass at Ballygarran as part of the Tralee-Fenit Greenway project has begun

A pedestrian / cycling underpass is required to cross under the local road L-2006 at Ballygarran (Cotters Bend) and submissions are sought on the proposal which will provide a coherent route for the TraleeFenit Greenway with users separated from road traffic.

The works will consist of the:

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• Installation of a precast concrete (box) underpass, 20.0m in length, with a 4.0m internal width and a headroom of 2.7m

• Installation of headwalls, wing walls and retaining walls

• Diversion of services to accommodate the construction of the underpass

• Construction of a 3m wide paved surface

• Installation of fencing / vehicle restraint systems, where required

• Associated site works

To see the full details of the proposal, click here. Kerry County Council has concluded that the proposed project, individually, and in combination with other plans and projects, is not one which requires an Appropriate Assessment (AA) or an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and is not likely to have a significant effect on the environment.

A member of the public, may at any time before the expiration of four weeks beginning on the date of the publication of this notice, seek an EIA screening determination from An Bord Pleanála as to whether the proposed development would have significant effects on the environment.

Plans and Particulars of the proposed development are available for inspection or purchase, on payment of a specified fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making such a copy, during normal office hours from Thursday 6th May 2021 until 4th June 2021 at the following locations;

• Kerry County Council, Tralee Municipal District Office, Princes Quay, Tralee, Co. Kerry

• Kerry County Council, Áras an Chontae, Rathass, Tralee, County Kerry.

• Kerry County Council Website www.kerrycoco.ie

An Adviser is available to explain the plans and particulars by appointment only at 066 719 1362.

Submissions and Observations with respect to the proposed development dealing with proper planning and sustainable development in which the development would be situated, may be made in writing and clearly marked; Tralee-Fenit Greenway Underpass Ch4865” to Administrative Officer, Capital Infrastructure Uni, Kerry County Council, Tralee Municipal District Offices; Princes Quay, Tralee, Co. Kerry.

Or Email to: CIU@Kerrycoco.ie. Submissions must be received by 5pm on Friday 18th June 2021.

THE Friends of the Tralee-Fenit Greenway group has written to local councillors about the fencing on the Greenway.

They expressed concerns about the extent of fencing on certain parts of the Greenway route and want its use limited as they feel it will detract from the user experience.

“We note that there is a contract invitation for fencing to extend effectively from Fenit to the Oyster Tavern junction and presumably this will be extended to Tralee,” reads the letter addressed to all seven Tralee Municipal District Councillors.

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“We are fully aware of the need for stockproofing and for safety at gradient differences but would urge that wire and concrete fencing be kept to a minimum and that earthen mounding and timber post and rail be used instead where possible similar to the Waterford Greenway.”

They state that there was no indication in the Part 8 planning drawings that this continuous fencing was to be used and they feel the extensive use of post and wire fencing and concrete screen panels will detract from the Greenway and, in places, present a hazard to users.

“It is well recognised that good Greenway design relies on maximizing the experience of the open countryside with the absence of ‘corridor’ fencing,” continues the letter.

“We have tried to contact Council Officials about the matter to no avail. Can you please request full details of what is proposed and the rationale for its use? The project will be a flagship for tourism in North Kerry and we would urge that best practice similar to other completed Greenways be used.”

PART of the Tralee-Fenit Greenway should be open before summer of 2021, councillors were told yesterday.

At the Tralee Municipal District meeting of councillors on Monday morning, an update on the progress and timeframe of the project was requested in separate motions by Cllr Mikey Sheehy, Cllr Terry O’Brien and Cllr Deirdre Ferris.

Senior Engineer at Kerry County Council, Tom Sheehy, informed members that they are confident the section from Spa to Fenit should be completed and open to the public before the start of the summer tourist season in 2021.

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He said they were also currently investigating extending a walkway from Cockleshell Road to the Spa. A walkway from the Lock Gates to Cockleshell was opened last year and has proved a huge success.

It is anticipated that the full Greenway between Tralee and Fenit will be completed by the third quarter of 2021.

Cllr Mikey Sheehy also enquired if plans were in place for public and commercial facilities to be added to the Tralee-Fenit Greenway at both the starting points and within the route itself.

Council in reply said a masterplan for Fenit is being prepared which will address the terminus point of the Greenway in the village.

They also said the construction of the Greenway also aligns with the development of Tralee as a Tourism Destination Town which is supported by Fáilte Ireland and is an integral part of the Fáilte Ireland ‘Kerry Visitor Experience Development Plan’.

The County Development Plan and MD Local Area Plans support the development of public and commercial facilities on the proposed greenway network in the county.

A WEST Kerry street artist is aiming to bring the Tralee to Fenit Greenway to life by creating a wildflower mural, with blossoms cascading along the walled part of the 10km walk in Tralee town.

Incorporating flora and fauna, Ciara McKenna is inviting community groups and members of the public to collaborate with her in this unique piece of street art.

“I will base the mural on the tiny flowers hidden in the hedgerows and walls of ‘The Green Míle’ part of the Greenway,” Ciara explained.

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“My hope is that locals and community groups, while out walking the Green Mile, will photograph these tiny wildflowers and post them to the project’s Facebook page.”

Ciara, in consultation with Cathy Fischer, Kerry Biodiversity Officer, will then scale up these flowers to create a vivid piece of street art along the Greenway’s walls in Tralee town.

“These delicate lifeforms have a huge impact on our mental health; this mirrors my belief that each person in a community has a role, each being has value, we all have a part to play,” she said.

Ciara’s work ‘Grandma’s Hands’ – a large scale mural created in response to the pandemic and in tribute to our senior citizens – recently garnered national attention having featured on RTÉ’s ‘Ireland on Call’.

A member of the public subsequently invited Ciara to come to Tralee and create a unique and uplifting work in a public space. People can post their photos to the project’s dedicated Facebook page https://m.facebook.com/FlowerScapeTraleeFenitGreenway/

TRALEE Chamber Alliance says it will continue to work with Kerry County Council on any efforts necessary to accelerate the opening of the Tralee-Fenit Greenway.

An open letter was published in The Kerryman newspaper this week signed by over 50 businesses and interest groups urging the Council to complete the project before the 2021 summer season. The project is scheduled for completion in the autumn of 2021.

Mayor of Tralee Cllr Terry O’Brien told Radio Kerry earlier today that because of restrictions on space  on site, they could not go any faster with the project even if they had more resources.

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A statement issued this evening by Tralee Chamber Alliance reads: “We wish to acknowledge the recently published open letter, and the desire expressed on the timelines for the opening of the Tralee-Fenit Greenway. Over the past number of months Tralee Chamber, working in collaboration with Mayor Terry O’Brien, the Elected Members and the Tralee Municipal District office of Kerry County Council, have been engaged in ongoing reviews of the progress of these works.

We have assurances every effort that can be made, will be made to accelerate the project. The opening of the greenway in advance of Summer 2021 would without question be of significant value economically to the tourism sector in Tralee and in Kerry as a whole.

“In discussions between Tralee Chamber, the Mayor of Tralee and the Tralee MD this fact has been acknowledged and accepted unanimously. A number of proposals are under consideration should the early opening of the full greenway not be achieved pre-summer 2021. We fully intend over the coming weeks and months ahead to continue to engage on the progress of the greenway.”

A LOCAL group who are keen to see the Tralee-Fenit Greenway up and running as soon as possible have issued a call to local politicians to do all they can to have it ready for the 2021 tourist season.

The ‘Friends Of The Tralee To Fenit Greenway’ have expressed disappointment at the recent news that the greenway won’t be ready until at least the third quarter of 2021.

“It has come to our attention that the Greenway may now  be scheduled for completion in late next year 2021,” reads a statement from the group, issued to local county councillors.

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“This would mean that yet another year would have passed without this flagship project in place. We have been in touch with Brendan Griffin TD who has assured us that the allocated grant of €3 million, awarded during the last administration is fully in place and that there are no financial impediments.”

“Considering the current devastating impact on this year’s tourist industry and its importance to the local economy, we would again urge that the proposed scheduling for the Greenway completion be revised to Spring of 2021 which is a full 10 months away. Its scheduled opening for next year’s holiday season would put Tralee on the map as a unique tourist destination.”

“More importantly there is the issue of safety. With ‘staycations’ being encouraged  the Tralee to Fenit road has become very busy and next year will possibly be the same or even busier. Tourists from outside the county are unfamiliar with the road and with the increase in the number of cyclists the route has become more hazardous for vulnerable users.”

“We understand that there is a Council meeting on Monday next and we would again urge that you use your position as our public representative to ensure that KCC management revise their schedule and commit to a spring completion.”

The statement is signed by the committee of Joe Cotter, Margaret Lynch, Mike O’Neill, Keith O’Faolain, Tom O’Grady, David Slattery, Colin Shanahan, Brian Stephenson.