Firstly many thanks to those that have taken part in our August emailing campaign to wake the council up to the opportunity that now exists for Mayo.   I have received several blind copy emails from those motivated enough to take action.  You signed the petition for the Kiltimagh Greenway I presume because you want to see it happen, sending a few emails might help,  So please once again do try and do this:

Could Each person who has signed our petition  take the time to write one email like the one below, OK. copy paste if you want, and lets send it to every member of the council:

Here are the email addresses and blind copy your mail to sligomayogreenway@gmail.com   some of you may have sent emails and blind copied them that is no problem but I have only had a handful of copied emails which suggest an awful  lot of people are thinking about doing it.  Come on folks, please make the effort!

Please blind copy the emails you send to sligomayogreenway@gmail.com that way we can keep track of activity.
Current email addresses of Mayo councillors
cruisersbar@gmail.com; gjginty@gmail.com; cllrmloftus@gmail.com; jmunnelly@cllr.mayococo.ie; johara@cllr.mayococo.ie; amreape@cllr.mayococo.ie; michael@fgphelan.ie; sweir@cllr.mayococo.ie; cburke@cllr.mayococo.ie; fdurcan@cllr.mayococo.ie; bgavin@cllr.mayococo.ie; hkenny@cllr.mayococo.ie; mkilcoyne@cllr.mayococo.ie; amcdonnell@cllr.mayococo.ie; johncaulfield4@gmail.com; tconnolly@cllr.mayococo.ie; jcribbin@cllr.mayococo.ie; dryan@cllr.mayococo.ie; rconwaywalsh@cllr.mayococo.ie; gcoyle@cllr.mayococo.ie; mholmes@cllr.mayococo.ie; christyhyland@hotmail.com; cllrtmcguire@mayococo.ie; paulmcnamara04@eircom.net; bmulroy65@gmail.com; cllrtruane@mayococo.ie; rfinn@cllr.mayococo.ie; gmurray@cllr.mayococo.ie; pobrien@cllr.mayococo.ie;

Copy paste send. It will take you about five minutes. Lets wake them up!
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Dear Councillor: You may have heard that The new National Greenway Strategy was published last week. In October the Department of Transport will issue a call for Greenway funding with €53 million available for funding strategically long greenways that will fit into the National Greenway Network strategy. The proposed Western Rail Trail greenway on the route of the closed railway from Athenry to Sligo passing through Mayo and right through Kiltimagh, fits the national greenway strategy perfectly, but we can only get funding if Mayo County Council apply. This long distance greenway route which is already in public ownership, could connect to the Great Western Greenway via the Castlebar/Turlough House greenway, connect Mayo to the Galway – Dublin greenway at Athenry and to Northern Ireland via the proposed Enniskillen/Leitrim/Sligo greenway being developed as a project on the old Sligo North Leitrim railway.

All this connectivity will bring more cycling tourists into Mayo to discover the joys of the Great Western Greenway. It would be a win/win situation for Mayo tourism.

However this idea under the terms of the new national greenway strategy can only happen with the support of Galway Mayo and Sligo County Council. Thankfully, Sligo County Council is already fully supportive and I am sure Sligo will be applying to create a greenway on the Sligo section of the line and good luck to them I hope they are successful.

Mayo county council received almost 300 submissions on the current county plan asking for a greenway on the closed railway, in fact 87% of all the submissions on the plan asked for a greenway on the route. An on line petition for the Western Rail Trail now has almost 20,000 signatures. As a county councillor you may have received emails from people who have signed the petition.

There is overwhelming public support for this idea.

Oh and by the way before you write back and tell us about the Mayo county plan, then yes we accept the Velo rail will go on the closed railway 6 km either side of Kiltimagh, but we want the council to include this in the application for greenway funding so that a parallel greenway runs along this section of the route. It is possible, it is feasible, what do you want to do throw away this opportunity for Mayo?

We also know some councillors still believe the railway is going to be re-opened from Athenry to Claremorris. The Minister of Transport is supposed to be producing a report on the feasibility of the Western Rail Corridor being extended north of Athenry to Claremorris, but this report has not yet materialised. In truth is unlikely to recommend that the railway re-opens anytime soon for a whole host of reasons.

The report is not even going to consider the railway line north of Claremorris!

This leaves the option to convert this route to greenway until such time as a railway is possible.

Imagine a greenway from Athenry to Sligo. What could this do for the West of Ireland tourist economy? What it could do for towns like Kiltimagh? The forgotten parts for rural Ireland.

This will only happen if Mayo county council elected representatives act on our behalves. It really is your obligation as elected councillors to do what the people want to see done. Mayo is going to miss out on this incredible chance to connect Mayo to the rest of the country on the National Cycle network with a project that could be easily achieved within the new greenway strategy. YOU NEED TO ACT ON THIS MATTER!

Get your act together do this:

I am asking you as a councillor to start addressing this issue, You can make a start by preparing and submitting a motion to Mayo County Council for the September County council meeting. I suggest you ask the council to consider this idea as a motion:

Motion to propose to Mayo county council meeting in September:
“The National Greenway Strategy published by the Department of Transport in July 2018 presents Mayo with an outstanding opportunity to increase the Mayo Greenway tourism infrastructure. The Department of Transport will issue a call for proposals from County councils in October. It is proposed that Mayo county council will answer this call for proposals and make a submission to the Department of Transport to approve and fund a long distance greenway on the route of the closed railway route from Charlestown to Milltown. The Greenway will protect the closed railway line in public ownership in perpetuity, should the route ever be needed as a railway in the future. The proposal for this long distance greenway will fulfil all the five main criteria needed for support of national greenway routes: Strategic: It will link Mayo with the National greenway network. Scenic: Mayo is one of the most scenic counties in Ireland. Sustainable The greenway will pass through several towns offering accommodation and facilities; it is also wholly in public ownership. Substantially segregated &Share use. The greenway will be entirely off road and suitable for use by cyclists walkers, wheelchair uses and above all families. Offer lots to see and do Passing through several communities for over 40 km there are plenty of additional attractions on the route of the greenway.
It is proposed that the council planning department be instructed to prepare a submission for the Charlestown to Milltown Greenway in answer to the call for proposals from the Department of Transport”

Please give this submission some consideration put it forward for business at the next council meeting in September and please come on board like so many other councillors in the West of Ireland to declare your support for the Western Rail Trail and to get Mayo county council to answer the call for funding for a Greenway on the closed railway from Milltown to Charlestown. All this needs is a motion in the chamber proposing this idea for debate. That is what I am asking you to do as one of your constituents.
Please let me know the wording of the submission you have made.
Thank you
Your name and contact details