County Cork County Cork () is the largest and the southernmost Counties of Ireland, county of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, named after the city of Cork (city), Cork, the state's second-largest city. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster ...

has a number of

rail-trail A rail trail or railway walk is a shared-use path on a railway right of way. Rail trails are typically constructed after a railway has been abandoned and the track has been removed but may also share the rail corridor with active railways, li ...

s and

greenway Greenway or Greenways may refer to: * Greenway (landscape), a linear park focused on a trail or bike path * Another term for bicycle boulevards in some jurisdictions * European Greenways Association, an association for sustainable transport Peopl ...

s and, as of 2022, there are plans and proposals at various stages of preparation to create a network of walking trails for the county. The term "Cork Greenway" has been used in press coverage, but is not used officially.

Midleton — Youghal rail trail

In July 2015,

Irish Rail Irish commonly refers to: * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the island and the sovereign state *** Erse (disambiguati ...

indicated they had no intention of re-opening the

Midleton Midleton (; , meaning "monastery at the weir") is a town in south-eastern County Cork, Ireland. It lies approximately 16 km east of Cork City on the Owenacurra River and the N25 road, which connects Cork to the port of Rosslare. A satelli ...

Youghal Youghal ( ; ) is a seaside resort town in County Cork, Ireland. Located on the estuary of the Munster Blackwater, River Blackwater, the town is a former military and economic centre. Located on the edge of a steep riverbank, the town has a long ...

section of the Cork and Youghal Railway as funds would be better spent on the existing network. They indicated support for a

, as it would free them from existing maintenance costs whilst retaining a license to re-open the route in the event that became an option. By April 2020, a €15 million euro project to open the Midleton to Youghal Greenway had begun but was being delayed by the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

. The proposed trail would measure 23 kilometres. The first section of the greenway was opened in March 2024. The trailheads, for the initial stretch, are Midleton and

Mogeely Mogeely () is a village in County Cork, Ireland. As of the 2016 census, it had a population of 389 people. The village is in a townland and civil parish of the same name. Mogeely lies in east Cork, approximately north of Castlemartyr off the ...

, with construction due to be complete on the whole trail .

Killeagh Killeagh () is a village in east County Cork, Ireland. It is approximately from Cork (city), Cork city, between Midleton and Youghal on the N25 road (Ireland), N25 national primary road. The village is in a Civil parishes in Ireland, civil par ...

is also due to be part of the route. In July 2024, Dáil deputy David Stanton proposed that one side of the disused line be used as a bus corridor.

Mallow — Fermoy — Dungarvan

In 2022, the possibility of linking Mallow to the existing

Waterford Greenway The Waterford Greenway, also known locally as the Déise Greenway, is a route on a former railway track in County Waterford, Ireland, used for cycling and hiking. It opened in March 2017, on what was originally the Mallow/Waterford railway lin ...

and

Suir The River Suir ( ; or ''Abhainn na Siúire'' ) is a river in Ireland that flows into the Atlantic Ocean through Waterford after a distance of . The catchment area of the Suir is 3,610 km2.

blueway was examined.

Cork Harbour Greenway

The Cork Harbour Greenway runs from

Páirc Uí Chaoimh Páirc Uí Chaoimh ( ) is a Gaelic games stadium in Cork, Ireland. Often referred to simply as "The Park", it is the home of Cork GAA and is located in Ballintemple, near the site of the original Cork Athletic Grounds. In February 2024, follo ...

stadium to

Passage West Passage West (locally known as "Passage"; ) is a port town in County Cork, Ireland, situated on the west bank of Cork Harbour, some 10 km south-east of Cork (city), Cork city. Passage West was designated a conservation area in the 2003 Co ...

, along the route of the former

Cork Electric Tramways and Lighting Company The Cork Electric Tramways and Lighting Company operated a passenger tramway service in Cork (city), Cork between 1898 and 1931. History Origins The Cork Electric Tramways and Lighting Company was a subsidiary of British Thomson-Houston, a ma ...

Blackpool Blackpool is a seaside town in Lancashire, England. It is located on the Irish Sea coast of the Fylde peninsula, approximately north of Liverpool and west of Preston, Lancashire, Preston. It is the main settlement in the Borough of Blackpool ...

—

Cork "Cork" or "CORK" may refer to: Materials * Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product ** Stopper (plug), or "cork", a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container *** Wine cork an item to seal or reseal wine Places Ireland * ...

tram line, and

Cork, Blackrock and Passage Railway The Cork, Blackrock and Passage Railway (CB&PR) was a Narrow gauge railway, narrow gauge railway in County Cork, Ireland. The line originally opened in 1850 as a Irish standard gauge railway between Cork (city), Cork and Passage West and opera ...

References

External links

Greenways page
at

Cork County Council Cork County Council () is the local authority of County Cork, Ireland. As a county council, it is governed by the Local Government Act 2001, as amended. The council is responsible for housing and community, roads and transportation, urban pl ...

website Irish Greenways Transport in County Cork Rail trails in the Republic of Ireland {{Trail-stub