Sutton to Baldoyle — an optional bypass road and greenway
The Issue
●Sutton cross is built on an Isthmus
https://fingalcoco.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/1124471?force_language_code=en_GB
■Sutton to Baldoyle — an optional bypass road and greenway bothar.na.mara@gmail.com (Please reply to this email only
📢 LATEST UPDATE ☘️
Wednesday 7TH OCTOBER — OUR PROPOSAL BEFORE FINGAL COUNTY COUNCIL! ☘️
Two important items will be discussed — both about our Sutton Cross / Bóthar na Mara vision:
✅ Item 5 — AI109938
Sutton Cross Bypass
- Section: Services B — Strategic & General Matters
- Proposed by: Cllr Cathal Haughey
- Time: From 3:00pm
✅ Item 31 — MAIN DEBATE
Strategic Development — Sutton Cross Bypass
- Proposed by: Brian McDonagh TD
- Time: Approx 4:30pm ☘️
📺 WATCH IT LIVE:
🔗 https://fingalcoco.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/1090349?force_language_code=en_GB
We’re asking for a feasibility study — to examine an elevated Greenway & Relief Road that protects the Baldoyle Estuary AND eases Sutton Cross for everyone 💚 ☘️
Proposed Sutton to Baldoyle new greenway and road route circa 15m metres width × 448 metres long
We are raising the profile about the importance of this greenway and road in from top of Baldoyle walkway to Burrow road. We would be delighted if you could circulate our Change.org link /information to let more people to know about this.
This new road is essential to not cut off our communities.
SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT CORRIDOR Sutton to Baldoyle bypass 448 metres
—📢 COMMUNITY ROUTE WALK — ALL WELCOME!🗓 Saturday, 3rd October 2026
⏰ 11:00 am📍 Meet: Top of Baldoyle Walkway / Station Road
Walk the full 448m proposed route — see for yourself how low‑impact and practical this corridor really is!
It's quiet stony in places so good footwear essential - tide will be well out.
We fully support the new Malahide to Sutton Greenway and boardwalk — it’s wonderful and so needed. But we want to be very clear: this vital connection at the top of Baldoyle Walkway / Station Road cannot be a boardwalk only.
It must also include the connecting road to Burrow Road — because the two together solve the full problem:
✅ The greenway — safe, accessible paths for walkers, cyclists, wheelchair users, and everyone in our community
✅ The connecting road — the only genuine bypass for Sutton Cross, the DART barriers, Lauder’s Lane, Burrow Road, and Claremont. It eases the daily chaos that affects every single one of us who lives or travels through this isthmus
🚦 WHY THIS BYPASS IS URGENT
The Sutton Isthmus is unique in that is the only access to Howth Head — one constrained bottleneck where every road, every journey, and every resident converges. Today we face:
- Constant gridlock at Sutton Cross & Station Road DART barriers
- Barrier downtime rising to up to 30 minutes as DART services expands resulting in
●Shuttles back & forth to Howth from Howth Junction.
-●Station Road frequently and currently under repair
● Idling traffic = poor air quality + dangerous mixing of cars, bikes & pedestrians
●Sutton cross is built on an Isthmus and as parts of Station road are frequently under repair.
● With the dangers to cyclists, pedestrials and cars at Sutton cross we consider this project to be in line under European Habitats Directives with "Imperative Reasons of Overriding Public Interest" (IROPI) and absolutely no alternative exists
Core Purpose
We are seeking Engineering design & environmental screening to explore this option — please tell us your thoughts. Presently the Malahide to Sutton Greenway stops at end Baldoyle Walkway !
📋 — WE WANT YOUR THOUGHTS
— Residential Road Road and Greenway Sutton to Baldoyle — an alternative route to Howth.
Complete two‑way road same width as Burrow road, 7 metres with traffic lanes, segregated cycleway, footpath, coastal protection & lighting. width circa 12 to 14 metres
- 🚗 7m two-way road ✅ fits into existing Burrow road width.
- 🧱 1.5m buffer ✅
- 🚶 2.5m footpath + 🚲 4.0m cycleway ✅
- 📏 15m total corridor ✅
- ✅ Runs entirely on existing public land
📍 THE ROUTE
- Starts: Burrow Road (before Sutton Golf Club's right turn)
- Ends: Crosses top of Baldoyle Walkway → Station Road
- Connections:
- Sutton end → over Corr Bridge → Howth (left) / Sutton (right)
- Baldoyle end → Station Road → R90 / M50
- Result: Bypasses Sutton Cross + DART barriers completely
🌱 RESPECTING THE ESTUARY — DELIVERING FOR PEOPLE
- Only 12 to 14 along the railway most of which is always dry— a tiny part of this vast protected habitat
- No homes, gardens or sensitive habitats affected
- Aligns with Sutton–Malahide Greenway, Active Travel & Climate Action policies
- Eligible for dedicated grant funding
- Provides reliable emergency access — a vital lifeline our community currently lacks
A safe, modest, sustainable road corridor that solves a growing crisis — before DART expansion with shuttles to Howth which will make congestion unbearable. We protect our precious estuary while finally connecting our communities properly
✍️ PLEASE — SUPPORT, SHARE & HAVE YOUR SAY
What observations or ideas would you add? Every voice strengthens our case to Fingal County Council
📧 Email: bothar.na.mara@gmail.com🚶 Join us: 3rd October, 11:00am — Top of Baldoyle Walkway
🎯 Core Purpose
To deliver a vital, sustainable bypass road and Greenway link that solves a real community problem, protects our precious coastal environment, and fits within legal, planning and funding rules –
Please give your thoughts sign and share. Thank you
Bothar.na.mara@gmail.com
We want your thoughts, observations and support!
Please sign, share, and let us know your own ideas.
Together we can make Bóthar na Mara – Sea Road work for our community 💛
📢 Update: Addressing Environmental Concerns
We fully respect the protected status of Baldoyle Estuary. Our proposal seeks only a very limited encroachment of 15 metres along one short section – a tiny part of this vast habitat, with no meaningful impact on wildlife.
The Sutton isthmus is the only access to Howth Head – a major national amenity, home to thriving communities, beaches, businesses and the upcoming Howth Castle development. Chronic congestion and barrier delays will only get worse as DART services expand.
This small change will bring huge benefits: safer, reliable access, less idling traffic and lower emissions, while protecting the estuary. We are happy to work with experts to refine the route further.
Please keep sharing – thank you for your support! 🌊
The whole purpose of Saturday's walk is simple: to let people SEE for themselves just how short — and how vital — this proposed link really is.
It’s only around 450 metres x 12 to 14m— a tiny, short stretch alongside the railway — but it would make a massive, massive difference to so many people:
But none of this happens without the community — that’s why we need YOU! We want the whole community to come behind this work — the only way this gets onto the agenda and gets pushed through Fingal County Council is if we all stand together. And the only way to truly understand what we’re talking about is to come and SEE it — to WALK it on the ground and see for yourself just how small the footprint is, and how huge the benefits would be.
🚶♀️ It completes the coastal walkway — connecting Sutton and Baldoyle into one beautiful, continuous route for walkers, cyclists, and wheelchair users.
🚗 It eases the dangerous congestion at Sutton Cross — giving people a gentle alternative that takes pressure off the cross, making it safer for everyone.
♿ People in wheelchairs and those with limited mobility would be able to access the walkway and the beach properly — for the first time in their lives. Right now they hit a dead end at the top of the Baldoyle Walkway; this link would let them continue safely all the way to Burrow Road and Burrow Beach. It would also be a huge benefit to our neighbours at the Willie Nolan Hospital.
Bóthar na Mara has already written to the Minister of Transport, the National Transport Authority, the Infrastructure & Transportation Department at Fingal County Council, and the Senior Engineer — asking for this route to be properly designed by the engineers and planners, brought through the full planning process to An Bord Pleanála for approval, and included in the Malahide–Sutton Greenway. Funding is now available for this type of greenway — but first we need the design and planning process to begin.
We now have a few councillors on board more to come. and they need to see you're there
So come along, bring a friend, and stand with your community. Everyone welcome! 📍 Sat 3rd October 11:00am · Top of Baldoyle Walkway. Hope to see you there! 🙏💚 it's a bit stoney so good footwear essential
Thank you
💚 Bóthar na Mara
Can you help raise the profile of this petition ? You can skip the " chip in" part and revert email to have yr signature counted. Hope to see you on 19th Sept at 11.30am 💚
We will walk the full 450m proposed linkway. , to see how low-impact this route really is. All welcome! Cllr Cian & Cllr Joan have sent our proposal to Senior Engineer in Fingal!
please address all replies to this email as bothar.na.Mara@gmail.com
Thank you very much for sharing.
Our profile is growing!
https://www.facebook.com/share/19Rq2LENbs/
💚
The birds in our vast Baldoyle Estuary are precious — and so are we.
We share this beautiful place — the estuary, the shore, the sky. We love hearing the curlew, we love watching the heron, the elegant egrets, and the oystercatchers — all of them belong here, and we will always protect that.
These wonderful birds live further down the estuary, away from the railway line — near the community centre and along the existing walkway. Our proposed relief road and greenway runs gently alongside the railway track, crossing at the very top of the Baldoyle Walkway. There the road crosses over Station Road — while the new greenway splits to join the existing greenway, continuing down completely unchanged. So the vast majority of the shore, the view, and the birds’ peaceful home will remain completely untouched.
We are on an isthmus — there is no other way through — but this narrow corridor touches only the edge. The birds will still have their estuary, their space, their quiet — and we will finally have a safe path to share in the beauty right beside us.
It’s not birds OR people — it’s birds AND people, living alongside each other, both cared for. That’s the harmony we all deserve. 💚
— Bóthar na Mara
We held our first community walk today — and it was a wonderful success! Despite some rain, a great group came together to walk the proposed 448m route alongside the railway. We were especially pleased that Councillor David Healy joined us — he walked the full corridor, saw the alignment firsthand, and discussed our proposal in detail. Having elected representatives see the land in person is invaluable.
Re the Burrow road....
we've been looking closely at the roads here, because it’s vital to understand exactly how Burrow Road connects — or rather, doesn’t connect to the rest of Sutton.
Burrow Road runs parallel to the railway and Station Road — but they do not connect freely. There are three ways out, and every single one eventually leads to Sutton Cross or the DART barriers — and for many people, it’s actually worse than just one delay:
• Lauder's Lane — the closest connection to Station Road — but it crosses the DART line directly at a level crossing. So to use it, you must wait at the barriers. Once on Station Road, turning RIGHT just before the main train station means going through the barriers AGAIN at the station approach to reach the M50 / N90 — so that’s two sets of barriers in one short trip.
• If they turn LEFT instead — they come out onto the main road toward Sutton Cross. There are no barriers there — but it’s the difficult, awkward turn and the heavy congestion at Sutton Cross itself that causes all the delays. Trying to turn right at Sutton Cross to head for Dublin City is incredibly difficult — and that bottleneck is exactly what makes the whole area so frustrating.
• Castle Bridge UNDERPASS further down Burrow Road — brings you out onto the main road, but still feeds straight into Sutton Cross — no bypass there either.
• Corr Bridge / Claremont Road — gives access left toward Howth, right for Sutton Cross — but doesn't offer any route past Sutton Cross or the barriers
Right now, people on Burrow Road cannot easily get out — without hitting those same bottlenecks, and very often being stopped twice or stuck in heavy congestion. It’s effectively a cul-de-sac on the isthmus — with no proper through-route.
That’s exactly why our proposal matters. We’re asking for both a relief road AND a greenway — a 448m link connecting the Baldoyle Walkway end directly to Station Road. Crucially — this route runs alongside the railway — it does NOT cross it. That means no barriers, no level crossing, no double-stop. It would be the only route that truly bypasses both Sutton Cross AND the DART barriers — a genuine alternative for everyone, including the residents of Burrow Road who currently have no way around them.
🚗 For the community — it completes a missing link that should have been there all along.
🚶♀️🚲 For the greenway — we’re exploring an elevated boardwalk on stilts, to protect the shore and habitat while finally giving proper, safe beach access for everyone — especially those in wheelchairs who’ve never been able to reach it properly.
Done thoughtfully and sensitively, this isn’t about flooding a quiet lane with extra traffic — it’s about completing the road network so that traffic can flow freely and safely, instead of being trapped and forced to take long, congested detours. And it gives the whole peninsula — including those who live on Burrow Road — a genuine alternative route that simply doesn’t exist today.
Please leave your thoughts for and against this thank you ☘️💚
📢 Facebook Update — Bothar na Mara
This link needs to work for ALL of us — not just part of the solution 💚
We fully support the new greenway and boardwalk — it’s wonderful and so needed. But we want to be very clear: this vital connection at the top of Baldoyle Walkway / Station Road cannot be a boardwalk only.
It must also include the connecting road to Burrow Road — because the two together solve the full problem:
✅ The greenway — safe, accessible paths for walkers, cyclists, wheelchair users, and everyone in our community.
✅ The connecting road — the only genuine bypass for Sutton Cross, the DART barriers, Lauder’s Lane, Burrow Road, and Claremont. It eases the daily chaos that affects every single one of us who lives or travels through this isthmus.
To use this spot for a boardwalk alone — while leaving the traffic problems entirely unaddressed — would mean we’ve missed the chance to fix both at once. We don’t have to choose between people on foot and people in cars — we can build something that works beautifully for everyone.
Two solutions. One corridor. Done right, this place serves us all. 💚
We’re asking Fingal County Council to share the full plans — including the proposed boardwalk route behind Sutton Cross — so we can understand how everything fits together. We want to work with them to get this right.
— Bóthar na Mara ☘️
💚 Station Road — The Bigger Picture
- 🚗 Less queuing, less idling — Instead of traffic backing up along Station Road while waiting at Sutton Cross or the DART barriers, vehicles can flow freely via the new link. That means fewer stopped engines, less noise, and better air quality along all roads.
- 🚶♀️ The greenway enhances the whole area — A proper, safe elevated boardwalk gives walkers, cyclists, and wheelchair users their own clear, separated space along the edge — making the whole stretch greener, safer, and more pleasant for everyone to enjoy.
- 🚦 No new traffic — just a better route for the traffic that’s already here — This doesn’t bring extra cars into the area; it organises the traffic that already travels through it, removing the single biggest bottleneck at Sutton Cross and the DART barriers — creating smooth, direct connections that bypass the delays entirely.
- 🌿 The natural shoreline stays untouched — we don’t pave it over — As our project is evolving and developing, and we look forward to having engineers on board as we move forward. Both the road and greenway could be elevated on screw piles — gentle, low-vibration, and minimal impact. Think of the beautiful Dollymount wooden boardwalk — it sits lightly on the land, on piles, without burying the ground beneath it. That’s exactly the spirit of what we’re proposing.No deep excavation, no paving over the shoreline — each pile is just one small point of contact, leaving the grass, sand, and natural ground between them completely untouched.For our 450-metre route, screw piles would be placed roughly every 3 to 4 metres along the length — that means approximately 110 to 150 piles total for the full corridor. That sounds like a lot — but each one is a single small spot in the ground. Everything else remains natural ground. The habitat and wildlife would very quickly return to normal after construction — the estuary and the shoreline would return exactly to the way it was before.
Our Vision for Bóthar na Mara
We'd love your opinions
We share our vision for the Sutton–Baldoyle link — a two‑way relief road and greenway, built gently on stilts/piles, in the spirit of the much‑loved Clontarf wooden bridge — but wider, to carry both road traffic AND a beautiful, safe walkway and cycleway.
🚶♀️ Our aim: to connect safely from the Baldoyle Walkway all the way through to Burrow Road — easing congestion at Sutton Cross and giving everyone a gentle, accessible route that sits lightly on the land.
♿ And here’s something extra special we’d love to see: at the Sutton Golf Club end, we’d hope the walkway could veer down toward the beach — so that wheelchair users and everyone with limited mobility could finally reach the shore and the water’s edge, something many have never been able to do in their lives.
🕊️ Built on stilts — zero ground disturbance, no damage to the habitat, the birds and the estuary remain completely protected. Nature AND people — both cared for, both cherished.
This is what we’re working toward — a kinder, safer, more connected Sutton. 💚☘️
— Bóthar na Mara
THIS PROPOSED GREENWAY and RELIEF ROAD LINK — needs to work for all of us, and be the full solution, not just part of it.💚☘️
We fully support the new greenway and boardwalk — it’s wonderful and so needed. But we want to be very clear: this vital connection at the top of Baldoyle Walkway / Station Road cannot be a boardwalk only.
It must also include the connecting road to Burrow Road — because the two together solve the full problem:
✅ The greenway — safe, accessible paths for walkers, cyclists, wheelchair users, and everyone in our community.
✅ The connecting road — the only genuine bypass for Sutton Cross, the DART barriers, Lauder’s Lane, Burrow Road, and Claremont. It eases the daily chaos that affects every single one of us who lives or travels through this isthmus.
To use our proposed spot for a boardwalk alone — while leaving the traffic problems entirely unaddressed — would mean we’ve missed the chance to fix both at once. We don’t have to choose between people on foot and people in cars — we can build something that works beautifully for everyone.
Two solutions. One corridor. Done right, this place serves us all. 💚
We’re asking Fingal County Council to share the full plans — including the proposed boardwalk route behind Sutton Cross — so we can understand how everything fits together. We want to work with them to get this right.
— Bóthar na Mara
✨ Key Summney
The new link meets Station Road at a single, clear junction — it does NOT run the length of Station Road. It takes pressure OFF the road rather than adding it. Like the Dollymount boardwalk, the elevated structure sits lightly on the land — it doesn’t bury it, it doesn’t concrete over it, and it doesn’t destroy the natural edge. This is about relieving the area — not overwhelming it — so that everyone, including Station Road residents, gets a quieter, safer, more balanced community. 💚☘️
We are all on this isthmus — all of us in this together. We share this land, this road, this beautiful place — and we all deserve a better way forward. 💚
— Bóthar na Mara
✨ Charles Sargent shares his vision for Sutton ☘️
"I am very much looking forward to being at the community walk at 11am tomorrow!
It is long past the time for tinkering with traffic flow at Sutton Cross itself…
(his full message continues below)"
🗺️ See his maps below showing the bigger picture — TWO routes working together..
"I am very much looking forward to being at the community walk at 11am tomorrow!
It is long past the time for tinkering with the traffic flow at Sutton Cross itself - every time that planning permission was sought for new residential development on the Peninsula, local concerns always mentioned increased pressure on this bottleneck. The Sutton Cross area is a commercial and social centre, with all of the characteristics of a local village; a supermarket, a hotel, a bank, a school, as well as numerous commercial outlets, coffee shops etc. etc. So it is a destination in itself, totally unsuited to the volume of commuter and tourist traffic trying to get through flom all four directions of Howth, Carrickbrack, Baldoyle and Dublin.
Ireland's policy on village and town bypasses focuses on removing heavy through-traffic from residential centres to improve road safety and repurpose local streets for walking, cycling, and public realm enhancements - it is time for major investment to divert commuter and tourist traffic away from the narrow, congested roads around Sutton Cross. "I fully support the Bothar na Mara proposal for a bypass along the shore to the north, joining up to the Burrow Road - but my suggestion for a coastal bypass along the southern shore (see attached) is not an alternative; "
both are essential to reduce traffic congestion, improve the daily social and commercial life for those who use the Cross itself, and reduce carbon emissions from stalled traffic. In addition, the southern bypass can be constructed in such a way that it provides coastal protection from storm waves in Dublin Bay, and extends the coastal pedestrian and cycle way to the Strand Road junction with Carrickback Road."
-----------
📢 BÓTHAR NA MARA BEFORE FINGAL COUNTY COUNCIL — TUESDAY 7 OCTOBER!
Great news! Our Sutton–Baldoyle link proposal has been placed on the Council agenda for next Tuesday, thanks to Councillor Cathal Haughey 💙
We had such a positive community walk yesterday — joined by Councillor Tom Brabazon, Charles Sargent, and wonderful local supporters — and now our vision moves to the Council chamber!
📺 Watch it live:
We’ll share the direct link + item number as soon as we have them — keep an eye on this page!
📍 Meeting: Fingal County Council — Tuesday 7th October
💻 Stream: [We’ll post the link here as soon as we receive it]
Let’s show our community support together — tune in, share, and stand with us 💪✨
Thank you to everyone who’s walked, signed, and stood beside us. We’re moving forward — together 💚
— Bóthar na Mara ☘️
162
The Issue
●Sutton cross is built on an Isthmus
https://fingalcoco.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/1124471?force_language_code=en_GB
■Sutton to Baldoyle — an optional bypass road and greenway bothar.na.mara@gmail.com (Please reply to this email only
📢 LATEST UPDATE ☘️
Wednesday 7TH OCTOBER — OUR PROPOSAL BEFORE FINGAL COUNTY COUNCIL! ☘️
Two important items will be discussed — both about our Sutton Cross / Bóthar na Mara vision:
✅ Item 5 — AI109938
Sutton Cross Bypass
- Section: Services B — Strategic & General Matters
- Proposed by: Cllr Cathal Haughey
- Time: From 3:00pm
✅ Item 31 — MAIN DEBATE
Strategic Development — Sutton Cross Bypass
- Proposed by: Brian McDonagh TD
- Time: Approx 4:30pm ☘️
📺 WATCH IT LIVE:
🔗 https://fingalcoco.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/1090349?force_language_code=en_GB
We’re asking for a feasibility study — to examine an elevated Greenway & Relief Road that protects the Baldoyle Estuary AND eases Sutton Cross for everyone 💚 ☘️
Proposed Sutton to Baldoyle new greenway and road route circa 15m metres width × 448 metres long
We are raising the profile about the importance of this greenway and road in from top of Baldoyle walkway to Burrow road. We would be delighted if you could circulate our Change.org link /information to let more people to know about this.
This new road is essential to not cut off our communities.
SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT CORRIDOR Sutton to Baldoyle bypass 448 metres
—📢 COMMUNITY ROUTE WALK — ALL WELCOME!🗓 Saturday, 3rd October 2026
⏰ 11:00 am📍 Meet: Top of Baldoyle Walkway / Station Road
Walk the full 448m proposed route — see for yourself how low‑impact and practical this corridor really is!
It's quiet stony in places so good footwear essential - tide will be well out.
We fully support the new Malahide to Sutton Greenway and boardwalk — it’s wonderful and so needed. But we want to be very clear: this vital connection at the top of Baldoyle Walkway / Station Road cannot be a boardwalk only.
It must also include the connecting road to Burrow Road — because the two together solve the full problem:
✅ The greenway — safe, accessible paths for walkers, cyclists, wheelchair users, and everyone in our community
✅ The connecting road — the only genuine bypass for Sutton Cross, the DART barriers, Lauder’s Lane, Burrow Road, and Claremont. It eases the daily chaos that affects every single one of us who lives or travels through this isthmus
🚦 WHY THIS BYPASS IS URGENT
The Sutton Isthmus is unique in that is the only access to Howth Head — one constrained bottleneck where every road, every journey, and every resident converges. Today we face:
- Constant gridlock at Sutton Cross & Station Road DART barriers
- Barrier downtime rising to up to 30 minutes as DART services expands resulting in
●Shuttles back & forth to Howth from Howth Junction.
-●Station Road frequently and currently under repair
● Idling traffic = poor air quality + dangerous mixing of cars, bikes & pedestrians
●Sutton cross is built on an Isthmus and as parts of Station road are frequently under repair.
● With the dangers to cyclists, pedestrials and cars at Sutton cross we consider this project to be in line under European Habitats Directives with "Imperative Reasons of Overriding Public Interest" (IROPI) and absolutely no alternative exists
Core Purpose
We are seeking Engineering design & environmental screening to explore this option — please tell us your thoughts. Presently the Malahide to Sutton Greenway stops at end Baldoyle Walkway !
📋 — WE WANT YOUR THOUGHTS
— Residential Road Road and Greenway Sutton to Baldoyle — an alternative route to Howth.
Complete two‑way road same width as Burrow road, 7 metres with traffic lanes, segregated cycleway, footpath, coastal protection & lighting. width circa 12 to 14 metres
- 🚗 7m two-way road ✅ fits into existing Burrow road width.
- 🧱 1.5m buffer ✅
- 🚶 2.5m footpath + 🚲 4.0m cycleway ✅
- 📏 15m total corridor ✅
- ✅ Runs entirely on existing public land
📍 THE ROUTE
- Starts: Burrow Road (before Sutton Golf Club's right turn)
- Ends: Crosses top of Baldoyle Walkway → Station Road
- Connections:
- Sutton end → over Corr Bridge → Howth (left) / Sutton (right)
- Baldoyle end → Station Road → R90 / M50
- Result: Bypasses Sutton Cross + DART barriers completely
🌱 RESPECTING THE ESTUARY — DELIVERING FOR PEOPLE
- Only 12 to 14 along the railway most of which is always dry— a tiny part of this vast protected habitat
- No homes, gardens or sensitive habitats affected
- Aligns with Sutton–Malahide Greenway, Active Travel & Climate Action policies
- Eligible for dedicated grant funding
- Provides reliable emergency access — a vital lifeline our community currently lacks
A safe, modest, sustainable road corridor that solves a growing crisis — before DART expansion with shuttles to Howth which will make congestion unbearable. We protect our precious estuary while finally connecting our communities properly
✍️ PLEASE — SUPPORT, SHARE & HAVE YOUR SAY
What observations or ideas would you add? Every voice strengthens our case to Fingal County Council
📧 Email: bothar.na.mara@gmail.com🚶 Join us: 3rd October, 11:00am — Top of Baldoyle Walkway
🎯 Core Purpose
To deliver a vital, sustainable bypass road and Greenway link that solves a real community problem, protects our precious coastal environment, and fits within legal, planning and funding rules –
Please give your thoughts sign and share. Thank you
Bothar.na.mara@gmail.com
We want your thoughts, observations and support!
Please sign, share, and let us know your own ideas.
Together we can make Bóthar na Mara – Sea Road work for our community 💛
📢 Update: Addressing Environmental Concerns
We fully respect the protected status of Baldoyle Estuary. Our proposal seeks only a very limited encroachment of 15 metres along one short section – a tiny part of this vast habitat, with no meaningful impact on wildlife.
The Sutton isthmus is the only access to Howth Head – a major national amenity, home to thriving communities, beaches, businesses and the upcoming Howth Castle development. Chronic congestion and barrier delays will only get worse as DART services expand.
This small change will bring huge benefits: safer, reliable access, less idling traffic and lower emissions, while protecting the estuary. We are happy to work with experts to refine the route further.
Please keep sharing – thank you for your support! 🌊
The whole purpose of Saturday's walk is simple: to let people SEE for themselves just how short — and how vital — this proposed link really is.
It’s only around 450 metres x 12 to 14m— a tiny, short stretch alongside the railway — but it would make a massive, massive difference to so many people:
But none of this happens without the community — that’s why we need YOU! We want the whole community to come behind this work — the only way this gets onto the agenda and gets pushed through Fingal County Council is if we all stand together. And the only way to truly understand what we’re talking about is to come and SEE it — to WALK it on the ground and see for yourself just how small the footprint is, and how huge the benefits would be.
🚶♀️ It completes the coastal walkway — connecting Sutton and Baldoyle into one beautiful, continuous route for walkers, cyclists, and wheelchair users.
🚗 It eases the dangerous congestion at Sutton Cross — giving people a gentle alternative that takes pressure off the cross, making it safer for everyone.
♿ People in wheelchairs and those with limited mobility would be able to access the walkway and the beach properly — for the first time in their lives. Right now they hit a dead end at the top of the Baldoyle Walkway; this link would let them continue safely all the way to Burrow Road and Burrow Beach. It would also be a huge benefit to our neighbours at the Willie Nolan Hospital.
Bóthar na Mara has already written to the Minister of Transport, the National Transport Authority, the Infrastructure & Transportation Department at Fingal County Council, and the Senior Engineer — asking for this route to be properly designed by the engineers and planners, brought through the full planning process to An Bord Pleanála for approval, and included in the Malahide–Sutton Greenway. Funding is now available for this type of greenway — but first we need the design and planning process to begin.
We now have a few councillors on board more to come. and they need to see you're there
So come along, bring a friend, and stand with your community. Everyone welcome! 📍 Sat 3rd October 11:00am · Top of Baldoyle Walkway. Hope to see you there! 🙏💚 it's a bit stoney so good footwear essential
Thank you
💚 Bóthar na Mara
Can you help raise the profile of this petition ? You can skip the " chip in" part and revert email to have yr signature counted. Hope to see you on 19th Sept at 11.30am 💚
We will walk the full 450m proposed linkway. , to see how low-impact this route really is. All welcome! Cllr Cian & Cllr Joan have sent our proposal to Senior Engineer in Fingal!
please address all replies to this email as bothar.na.Mara@gmail.com
Thank you very much for sharing.
Our profile is growing!
https://www.facebook.com/share/19Rq2LENbs/
💚
The birds in our vast Baldoyle Estuary are precious — and so are we.
We share this beautiful place — the estuary, the shore, the sky. We love hearing the curlew, we love watching the heron, the elegant egrets, and the oystercatchers — all of them belong here, and we will always protect that.
These wonderful birds live further down the estuary, away from the railway line — near the community centre and along the existing walkway. Our proposed relief road and greenway runs gently alongside the railway track, crossing at the very top of the Baldoyle Walkway. There the road crosses over Station Road — while the new greenway splits to join the existing greenway, continuing down completely unchanged. So the vast majority of the shore, the view, and the birds’ peaceful home will remain completely untouched.
We are on an isthmus — there is no other way through — but this narrow corridor touches only the edge. The birds will still have their estuary, their space, their quiet — and we will finally have a safe path to share in the beauty right beside us.
It’s not birds OR people — it’s birds AND people, living alongside each other, both cared for. That’s the harmony we all deserve. 💚
— Bóthar na Mara
We held our first community walk today — and it was a wonderful success! Despite some rain, a great group came together to walk the proposed 448m route alongside the railway. We were especially pleased that Councillor David Healy joined us — he walked the full corridor, saw the alignment firsthand, and discussed our proposal in detail. Having elected representatives see the land in person is invaluable.
Re the Burrow road....
we've been looking closely at the roads here, because it’s vital to understand exactly how Burrow Road connects — or rather, doesn’t connect to the rest of Sutton.
Burrow Road runs parallel to the railway and Station Road — but they do not connect freely. There are three ways out, and every single one eventually leads to Sutton Cross or the DART barriers — and for many people, it’s actually worse than just one delay:
• Lauder's Lane — the closest connection to Station Road — but it crosses the DART line directly at a level crossing. So to use it, you must wait at the barriers. Once on Station Road, turning RIGHT just before the main train station means going through the barriers AGAIN at the station approach to reach the M50 / N90 — so that’s two sets of barriers in one short trip.
• If they turn LEFT instead — they come out onto the main road toward Sutton Cross. There are no barriers there — but it’s the difficult, awkward turn and the heavy congestion at Sutton Cross itself that causes all the delays. Trying to turn right at Sutton Cross to head for Dublin City is incredibly difficult — and that bottleneck is exactly what makes the whole area so frustrating.
• Castle Bridge UNDERPASS further down Burrow Road — brings you out onto the main road, but still feeds straight into Sutton Cross — no bypass there either.
• Corr Bridge / Claremont Road — gives access left toward Howth, right for Sutton Cross — but doesn't offer any route past Sutton Cross or the barriers
Right now, people on Burrow Road cannot easily get out — without hitting those same bottlenecks, and very often being stopped twice or stuck in heavy congestion. It’s effectively a cul-de-sac on the isthmus — with no proper through-route.
That’s exactly why our proposal matters. We’re asking for both a relief road AND a greenway — a 448m link connecting the Baldoyle Walkway end directly to Station Road. Crucially — this route runs alongside the railway — it does NOT cross it. That means no barriers, no level crossing, no double-stop. It would be the only route that truly bypasses both Sutton Cross AND the DART barriers — a genuine alternative for everyone, including the residents of Burrow Road who currently have no way around them.
🚗 For the community — it completes a missing link that should have been there all along.
🚶♀️🚲 For the greenway — we’re exploring an elevated boardwalk on stilts, to protect the shore and habitat while finally giving proper, safe beach access for everyone — especially those in wheelchairs who’ve never been able to reach it properly.
Done thoughtfully and sensitively, this isn’t about flooding a quiet lane with extra traffic — it’s about completing the road network so that traffic can flow freely and safely, instead of being trapped and forced to take long, congested detours. And it gives the whole peninsula — including those who live on Burrow Road — a genuine alternative route that simply doesn’t exist today.
Please leave your thoughts for and against this thank you ☘️💚
📢 Facebook Update — Bothar na Mara
This link needs to work for ALL of us — not just part of the solution 💚
We fully support the new greenway and boardwalk — it’s wonderful and so needed. But we want to be very clear: this vital connection at the top of Baldoyle Walkway / Station Road cannot be a boardwalk only.
It must also include the connecting road to Burrow Road — because the two together solve the full problem:
✅ The greenway — safe, accessible paths for walkers, cyclists, wheelchair users, and everyone in our community.
✅ The connecting road — the only genuine bypass for Sutton Cross, the DART barriers, Lauder’s Lane, Burrow Road, and Claremont. It eases the daily chaos that affects every single one of us who lives or travels through this isthmus.
To use this spot for a boardwalk alone — while leaving the traffic problems entirely unaddressed — would mean we’ve missed the chance to fix both at once. We don’t have to choose between people on foot and people in cars — we can build something that works beautifully for everyone.
Two solutions. One corridor. Done right, this place serves us all. 💚
We’re asking Fingal County Council to share the full plans — including the proposed boardwalk route behind Sutton Cross — so we can understand how everything fits together. We want to work with them to get this right.
— Bóthar na Mara ☘️
💚 Station Road — The Bigger Picture
- 🚗 Less queuing, less idling — Instead of traffic backing up along Station Road while waiting at Sutton Cross or the DART barriers, vehicles can flow freely via the new link. That means fewer stopped engines, less noise, and better air quality along all roads.
- 🚶♀️ The greenway enhances the whole area — A proper, safe elevated boardwalk gives walkers, cyclists, and wheelchair users their own clear, separated space along the edge — making the whole stretch greener, safer, and more pleasant for everyone to enjoy.
- 🚦 No new traffic — just a better route for the traffic that’s already here — This doesn’t bring extra cars into the area; it organises the traffic that already travels through it, removing the single biggest bottleneck at Sutton Cross and the DART barriers — creating smooth, direct connections that bypass the delays entirely.
- 🌿 The natural shoreline stays untouched — we don’t pave it over — As our project is evolving and developing, and we look forward to having engineers on board as we move forward. Both the road and greenway could be elevated on screw piles — gentle, low-vibration, and minimal impact. Think of the beautiful Dollymount wooden boardwalk — it sits lightly on the land, on piles, without burying the ground beneath it. That’s exactly the spirit of what we’re proposing.No deep excavation, no paving over the shoreline — each pile is just one small point of contact, leaving the grass, sand, and natural ground between them completely untouched.For our 450-metre route, screw piles would be placed roughly every 3 to 4 metres along the length — that means approximately 110 to 150 piles total for the full corridor. That sounds like a lot — but each one is a single small spot in the ground. Everything else remains natural ground. The habitat and wildlife would very quickly return to normal after construction — the estuary and the shoreline would return exactly to the way it was before.
Our Vision for Bóthar na Mara
We'd love your opinions
We share our vision for the Sutton–Baldoyle link — a two‑way relief road and greenway, built gently on stilts/piles, in the spirit of the much‑loved Clontarf wooden bridge — but wider, to carry both road traffic AND a beautiful, safe walkway and cycleway.
🚶♀️ Our aim: to connect safely from the Baldoyle Walkway all the way through to Burrow Road — easing congestion at Sutton Cross and giving everyone a gentle, accessible route that sits lightly on the land.
♿ And here’s something extra special we’d love to see: at the Sutton Golf Club end, we’d hope the walkway could veer down toward the beach — so that wheelchair users and everyone with limited mobility could finally reach the shore and the water’s edge, something many have never been able to do in their lives.
🕊️ Built on stilts — zero ground disturbance, no damage to the habitat, the birds and the estuary remain completely protected. Nature AND people — both cared for, both cherished.
This is what we’re working toward — a kinder, safer, more connected Sutton. 💚☘️
— Bóthar na Mara
THIS PROPOSED GREENWAY and RELIEF ROAD LINK — needs to work for all of us, and be the full solution, not just part of it.💚☘️
We fully support the new greenway and boardwalk — it’s wonderful and so needed. But we want to be very clear: this vital connection at the top of Baldoyle Walkway / Station Road cannot be a boardwalk only.
It must also include the connecting road to Burrow Road — because the two together solve the full problem:
✅ The greenway — safe, accessible paths for walkers, cyclists, wheelchair users, and everyone in our community.
✅ The connecting road — the only genuine bypass for Sutton Cross, the DART barriers, Lauder’s Lane, Burrow Road, and Claremont. It eases the daily chaos that affects every single one of us who lives or travels through this isthmus.
To use our proposed spot for a boardwalk alone — while leaving the traffic problems entirely unaddressed — would mean we’ve missed the chance to fix both at once. We don’t have to choose between people on foot and people in cars — we can build something that works beautifully for everyone.
Two solutions. One corridor. Done right, this place serves us all. 💚
We’re asking Fingal County Council to share the full plans — including the proposed boardwalk route behind Sutton Cross — so we can understand how everything fits together. We want to work with them to get this right.
— Bóthar na Mara
✨ Key Summney
The new link meets Station Road at a single, clear junction — it does NOT run the length of Station Road. It takes pressure OFF the road rather than adding it. Like the Dollymount boardwalk, the elevated structure sits lightly on the land — it doesn’t bury it, it doesn’t concrete over it, and it doesn’t destroy the natural edge. This is about relieving the area — not overwhelming it — so that everyone, including Station Road residents, gets a quieter, safer, more balanced community. 💚☘️
We are all on this isthmus — all of us in this together. We share this land, this road, this beautiful place — and we all deserve a better way forward. 💚
— Bóthar na Mara
✨ Charles Sargent shares his vision for Sutton ☘️
"I am very much looking forward to being at the community walk at 11am tomorrow!
It is long past the time for tinkering with traffic flow at Sutton Cross itself…
(his full message continues below)"
🗺️ See his maps below showing the bigger picture — TWO routes working together..
"I am very much looking forward to being at the community walk at 11am tomorrow!
It is long past the time for tinkering with the traffic flow at Sutton Cross itself - every time that planning permission was sought for new residential development on the Peninsula, local concerns always mentioned increased pressure on this bottleneck. The Sutton Cross area is a commercial and social centre, with all of the characteristics of a local village; a supermarket, a hotel, a bank, a school, as well as numerous commercial outlets, coffee shops etc. etc. So it is a destination in itself, totally unsuited to the volume of commuter and tourist traffic trying to get through flom all four directions of Howth, Carrickbrack, Baldoyle and Dublin.
Ireland's policy on village and town bypasses focuses on removing heavy through-traffic from residential centres to improve road safety and repurpose local streets for walking, cycling, and public realm enhancements - it is time for major investment to divert commuter and tourist traffic away from the narrow, congested roads around Sutton Cross. "I fully support the Bothar na Mara proposal for a bypass along the shore to the north, joining up to the Burrow Road - but my suggestion for a coastal bypass along the southern shore (see attached) is not an alternative; "
both are essential to reduce traffic congestion, improve the daily social and commercial life for those who use the Cross itself, and reduce carbon emissions from stalled traffic. In addition, the southern bypass can be constructed in such a way that it provides coastal protection from storm waves in Dublin Bay, and extends the coastal pedestrian and cycle way to the Strand Road junction with Carrickback Road."
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📢 BÓTHAR NA MARA BEFORE FINGAL COUNTY COUNCIL — TUESDAY 7 OCTOBER!
Great news! Our Sutton–Baldoyle link proposal has been placed on the Council agenda for next Tuesday, thanks to Councillor Cathal Haughey 💙
We had such a positive community walk yesterday — joined by Councillor Tom Brabazon, Charles Sargent, and wonderful local supporters — and now our vision moves to the Council chamber!
📺 Watch it live:
We’ll share the direct link + item number as soon as we have them — keep an eye on this page!
📍 Meeting: Fingal County Council — Tuesday 7th October
💻 Stream: [We’ll post the link here as soon as we receive it]
Let’s show our community support together — tune in, share, and stand with us 💪✨
Thank you to everyone who’s walked, signed, and stood beside us. We’re moving forward — together 💚
— Bóthar na Mara ☘️
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Petition created on 27 July 2026