Walking trails plan for former railways

A working group is to be set up to examine the feasibility of turning miles of former railways in West Cork into walking trails.

The group is likely to be led by Cork County Council’s assistant county manager James Fogarty, who has described himself as “one of the original railway children”.

Mr Fogarty, who has just been appointed the most senior council official in West Cork, said he had fond memories of the old railways as his father was station master in Ballinascarthy.

The council is expected to enlist help from West Cork Development Partnership and West Cork IFA and a postgraduate student who has carried out an in-depth study of the railways corridors which once traversed the region.

Cllr Declan Hurley (Ind) said that the lines were a “lost jewel” which could be exploited again to attract walkers to the region.

Cllr Mary Hegarty said that a similar walking trials project in Westport, Co Mayo had proved very successful and she couldn’t see why it wouldn’t work in the West Cork region.

Mr Fogarty said he was “very enthusiastic” about the project and would give it all the backing he could.

He said he would invite council engineer Peter O’Donoghue to address the next month’s meeting of the western division in Clonakilty. Mr O’Donoghue has been working on creating walkways on former railway lines in south Cork.

Mr Fogarty said he would also immediately contact the postgraduate student.