Opening today the enchanting Royal Canal Greenway is 130km of level towpath, ideal for walkers, runners and cyclists of all ages and stages. Starting in cosmopolitan Maynooth, it follows the 200 year old canal through friendly Enfield and lively Mullingar to charming Cloondara in Longford, with cafés, picnic spots and attractions along the way. Rustic and industrial landscapes combine, with rolling fields, pretty waterside villages, working locks and historic landmarks. Cycle between any of the main towns and return by train to where you started
Work commenced to build the Royal Canal in 1790. For three decades the canal was the main mode of transport for cargo and passengers through midlands Ireland. In 1845 the entire canal was purchased by the Midlands Great Western Railway Company and ocially closed to navigation by 1961. In 1974 a body of enthusiasts formed the Royal Canal Amenity Group to ‑rst protect and then restore and develop the canal as a public amenity.
Today Waterways Ireland is responsible for the canal, and it was under their stewardship, in association with the Royal Canal Amenity Group, that the Royal Canal was officially reopened from Dublin to the Shannon in 2010. This led to extensive work on the towpaths and the development of the Royal Canal Greenway by Local Authorities, Public Bodies and local communities
The €12 million project co-ordinated by Waterways Ireland is the country’s longest Greenway, traversing through Kildare, Meath, Westmeath and Longford. Those wishing to experience the Royal Canal Greenway are advised to adhere to Government guidelines on movement and social distancing.
The newest outdoor adventure tourism attraction for the country, the Royal Canal Greenway is a former towpath for barges featuring 90 bridges, 33 locks, 17 harbours and four aqueducts. Greenway users can choose to complete the entire 130km flat, off-road trail in one visit or explore the shorter designated routes — ranging from 6km to 15km — between the 14 connecting access points and towns
Speaking on the official Greenway opening, Minister for Transport, Eamon Ryan TD said: “We are delighted to launch the Royal Canal Greenway, a game changer for outdoor tourism, and leisure in Ireland and part of a growing network of greenways we will fund over the lifetime of this government. As Ireland’s longest greenway, stretching from the towns of Maynooth, Enfield, Mullingar, Longford and Cloondara, the Royal Canal Greenway has huge potential to serve as a haven for so many looking to get out and get active.”
The Greenway has been completed in partnership with Waterways Ireland; the four local authorities of Kildare, Longford, Meath and Westmeath County Councils; the Department of Transport, and Transport Infrastructure Ireland.
Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Malcolm Noonan, TD added: “This is a Greenway that has a remarkable past. From its tragic connection with the famine, to its heyday in the mid-1880s when it was the motorway of its time, the Royal Canal Greenway is an amenity that is continually reimagining and reinventing itself. It is fantastic to see it become a significant outdoor tourism and leisure amenity for Ireland — a 225-year-old engineering marvel that is now a respite for the modern age. As we look to a greener future, this Greenway will be an instrumental vehicle for the promotion and development of sustainable tourism in Ireland.”