John G O'Dwyer: Tourism on right track in Kerry as greenway gets green light

The protracted 10-year battle to obtain planning permission for the South Kerry Greenway has served to illustrate how permissive access to privately-owned land has huge benefits for rural communities, writes John G O’Dwyer

The South Kerry Greenway gets the Green Light after years of waiting. Pictured here the old Railway Bridge at the entrance to Cahersiveen Town. Photo Alan Landers.

A huge sigh of relief will doubtless have been exhaled by hard-hit tourism interests on Kerry’s Iveragh Peninsula with the announcement that the South Kerry Greenway has finally been given the green light. 

Small towns such as Glenbeigh and Cahersiveen are now likely to see the type of transformation brought about for Kilmacthomas by the Waterford Greenway and for Mayo’s Mulranny by the Great Western Greenway. Moving from being merely convenient coffee stops for those circuiting the Ring of Kerry, these centres are now likely to become vibrant locations for food, accommodation and bike hire.