Closure of Mayo greenway prompts heated debate at council meeting

Visitors and locals using the the Great Western Greenway between Westport and Newport had "to take their lives in their hands" after a section of the greenway was closed by a landowner during the summer, forcing users onto the busy N59 road.

Raising the matter at the September meeting of Mayo County Council, Cllr Peter Flynn said a key stretch of the greenway was closed for "the best part of three weeks" at the height of the summer tourist season.

"Visitors and locals had to go out onto the 100km/h section of road, on a bend, which applied for two weeks and without any notice going up. People and the media were trying to contact Mayo County Council, but no one was to be had," said the Fine Gael councillor. "They had to take their lives in their hands. It really was a miracle, and we should pay tribute to God today, that nobody was seriously hurt. These were the three busiest weeks of the August family holiday season. It is a miracle nothing happened.” 

Westport-based Independent councillor John O’Malley agreed that the greenway was closed but deemed “it was rightly so”. Vigorously defending the landowner involved, he vehemently declared: “It was closed because [the council] are abusing a farmer in that area.” 

Addressing the council's chief executive Kevin Kelly, Cllr O'Malley commented: “There were works to be carried out on the greenway, but they just did half of it. This gentleman comes out of his driveway, bicycles are passing backwards and forwards, they come flying along. His heart is in his mouth about hitting them or being hit by them. We want gates on both sides, so that people will get off their bloody bikes to open and close them. That is what was agreed.

“But instead, they put up the gates, with no spring on them, so they are open now all the time and the bikes can still fly through. If they had carried out the bloody works they were supposed to do it would have been fine, but the work is not being done.

"I tell you that greenway will close altogether if this work is not carried out. It will be up to you manager to sort this out. This is the second time this has happened and it could have been resolved."

Cllr O'Malley was also very critical of a council staff member who had been involved in the negotiations with the landowner and called for them to be "moved out of their position". He further referenced the controversial greenway plan from Belclare to Murrisk, which is currently in the planning stages, noting: "If they don’t want to go out the Louisburgh road for that greenway, there will be no greenway. Forget about it.”

It is proposed that this new greenway will follow an off-road route through private property instead of along the existing Westport to Louisburgh road. 

Responding, Mr Kelly stated: “Cllr O’Malley has alluded to a matter, and I recommend that he put this in writing and I will look at it.” 

The chief executive continued: “In relation to the incident on the greenway, I think the council staff were very engaged in resolving that issue and it is very unfair to suggest something happened and that there was nobody there to respond. In fact, Cllr Flynn, you texted me at 8.56am and got a response at 8.57am and by 11.06am that day I was told there was signage in place. So, to come in and suggest we are ignoring a situation is very unfair.” 

Getting to his feet, Cllr Flynn stated: “I acknowledge the work from the two engineers on the job. I take exception that you are trying to point the finger at me. The media was also trying to contact Mayo County Council and as I said, there was nobody to be had. This thing about saying a spokesperson from the council says something; why can’t people put their names to what they say? They either believe what they are saying or they don’t.” 

The Westport councillor resolutely added: “I am not going to retract anything. I was glad the signage went up but that took two weeks with no warnings to users of the greenway up to that.” 

Erris-based Fine Gael Cllr Gerry Coyle said it was important to "work with the people that are allowing the greenway to happen and listen to them and act on their concerns". However, he could not support Cllr O'Malley's proposal to have a council staff member re-assigned.

"I would not under any circumstances ask for people to be moved from their job. As I often say, I have never seen an argument where both sides don’t think they are right.”

• Published as part of the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.