Mullingar named as first class cycle hub

Failte Ireland, Waterways Ireland and Westmeath County Council have joined forces to launch Mullingar as the first category One Cycle Hub in the East and Midlands Region.Three cycle routes in Mullingar are now officially open for business and bike hire is also available. The cycle hub is the end result of 18 months of work, during which time 117km of roads have been upgraded to make three distinct cycle routes.Westmeath County Council is hoping that the routes will earn the county a slice of the cycling markets which sees over 100,000 people taking part in leisure bike runs in Ireland every year.County manager Danny McLoughlin said that he was delighted to see the project coming to fruition and that the council were pleased to have played in the scheme.'The intended aim of the project is to attract increased domestic and overseas tourism activity to the county along with increasing awareness of our beautiful countryside while renewing the popularity of cycling as a part of an active lifestyle and promoting the undoubted health benefits that can be gained from leisure cycling,' he said.