Calls to complete missing stretch of footpath

A call to complete a missing stretch of footpath leading to Delvin GAA pitch has received broad support at the June meeting of the Mullingar Kinnegad Municipal District.

Tabling the motion, Cllr David Jones urged the council to install a section of kerbed and gravelled path through the adjacent council yard to link the town to the GAA grounds. He said up to 100 people, children and adults, walk the route each week.

In its formal reply, the district said the site would be examined as part of future estimates.

Cllr Jones welcomed the response but expressed frustration at the delay in delivering what he called a “short bit of footpath” that has been under discussion for years.

“All you have to do is go out there on an evening during the week and you’ll see the amount of people heading to the GAA grounds,” he said.

He recalled a previously unsuccessful Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure (ORI) application, which was rejected on the grounds that the pitch did not qualify as a recreational facility due to its location within an 80kmh zone. “Apparently GAA isn’t recreation any more,” he remarked wryly.

Highlighting the popularity of the route, Cllr Jones said his own son plays hurling and football at the grounds and that many children and teenagers either walk or cycle there, without the benefit of a safe path. “The current stretch of footpath is in poor condition, and a wall is nearly falling down in parts,” he added.

He argued the solution was relatively straightforward: “There’s plenty of kerbing, there’s plenty of gravel in the yard. All we need is a bit of concrete and a bit of labour, and the labour is already there.”

Director of services Deirdre Reilly acknowledged the need but cautioned that the situation was complicated by the road classification. “It is on the N52, so it’s not as simple as just putting it in,” she said, noting that Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) may need to be consulted and planning permission secured.

She added that the location is already on the agenda for further examination, with a view to a fully constructed footpath, not a temporary gravel one.

Cllr Niall Gaffney seconded the motion and backed Cllr Jones’s appeal, describing the route as heavily used at all times of day and in all weather. “Coming into the summer months, there’s a huge increase in young people walking down for sports, summer camps and other activities,” he said.

He referenced previous discussions about lighting along the path and repeated his well-known frustration with delivering infrastructure on the N52. “It should be a top priority when it comes to footpaths,” he said.

Cllr Alfie Devine also spoke in support of the motion, calling footpath links between towns and their GAA facilities a basic health and safety issue. “That’s a very busy pitch up there,” he said. “I visit it regularly for matches and refereeing. A link to the town is essential.”

Wrapping up the discussion, Dirs Reilly said the council would continue to seek funding from TII.

In closing, Cllr Jones pointed to the broader issue of Delvin and Clonmellon being disadvantaged by the national road running through them. “TII are always going to be a spanner in the works,” he said. “It’s no benefit to us. With 44,000 or 45,000 vehicles passing through the town each week, you’d think we’d be given some additional priority. But when it comes to footpaths or resurfacing, it’s pointless. If we were that bit closer to Dublin, we’d have both by now.”