The Irish Times has reported that €1.6m has been made available by the Department of Transport and other State agencies to facilitate the construction of 17.5km of off road cycle and walking route in Co. Mayo apparently on the trackbed of the Westport to Achill railway line.
If this comes into being, it will be a positive development and one which I whole heartedly welcome. I might be singing Noel Dempsey’s praises yet (but don’t hold your breath just in case).
Surely some mistake - or maybe I’ve discovered time travel ;). Neither. I am taking this opportunity to flag up a date for Irish Rail. 17th December 2009 is the 175th anniversary of the opening of the Dublin & Kingstown Railway between Westland Row (Pearse Station) and Dunleary - now part of the DART line. Contrary to the generically held view, the railway did not extend to Kingstown (Dun Laoghaire) upon opening but to a temporary terminus north of the town at Dunleary. This is roughly adjacent to the West Pier of Dun Laoghaire Harbour.
I am calling on IR to acknowledge the date and on 17th December 2009, to erect a plaque commemorating the event, not at Dun Laoghaire, but at Dunleary. The pier of the footbridge erected in lieu of the level crossing at this point would be the ideal location for such a commemoration.