New book ‘Greenways of Ireland’ showcases growing network of walking and cycling routes

A new guide to Ireland’s traffic-free walking and cycling routes, Greenways of Ireland, is packed with historical information, detailed maps, practical details on access and transport and quality images.

Ireland’s walking and cycling landscape has been transformed in recent years thanks to the new greenways. Following canals, rivers and old railways, the traffic-free routes offer fine scenery and can provide fun days out for people of all abilities.

Greenways of Ireland features 25 routes, with a total distance of over 750km, including detailed descriptions of 12 long greenways (more than 20km) with directions, facilities and points of interest, and 13 shorter greenways (5-19km).

This book also looks to the past, charting the history of the waterways and railways that have been reimagined as greenways, and to the future, exploring how the greenway network is to expand in the coming years.

One of the authors, Richard Manton, completed a PhD on greenway planning and design. He said: “In visiting the routes in this book, I rediscovered my love of greenways. I was reminded of the quality of some greenways that I had cycled during my PhD more than 10 years ago and I was thrilled to experience the many new greenways that have opened in the last few years.

“There is no better way to take in Ireland’s breath-taking scenery than to get off the road and go for a walk or a cycle.”

Greenways of Ireland builds on the success of earlier outdoor guidebooks by publisher Three Rock Books, such as Cycling in Ireland and Exploring Ireland, said writer and publisher, David Flanagan.

Greenways of Ireland is available now from Three Rock Books threerockbooks.com.