All over Britain, old pathways are public rights of way so citizens can share the countryside on a harmonious basis with farmers and landowners. Pictured is the Devon coast, part a 17,500-kilometre coastal pathway round the rim of England, Scotland and Wales. Picture: Victoria Ashman/Getty
Another example of this is the Great Western Greenway between Westport and Achill, even though some €8.5 million public money has been spent on it. Negotiations for a rented new route have been entered into with two local landowners. Regular rent will be paid but permanence is certainly not guaranteed as would have been the case if the lovely original route had been defended by Donegal County Council, and properly made a right of way. This is no way for any country to go about its business. There will be more and more of these “solutions”.
Life for walkers, cyclists and other users of the countryside could be improved so much if we followed the example of EU countries or our neighbours in England or Wales. The reasons are simple. All over Britain, old and traditional pathways are public rights of way, which means that ordinary citizens have a right to a share in the countryside on a harmonious basis with farmers and landowners.
All this has been made possible and guaranteed in law under the 2003 Countryside and Rights of Way Act. Having such guaranteed rights of access is a key demand of Keep Ireland Open as an organisation. When we look at Britain, we see how the possibilities could open up for us. Any British county has more pathways open to the public than the whole of the Republic of Ireland.