oughterard bike trail

[tee]

Given that this has turned into a biking board, it seems not inappropriate to relay this info. (courtesy of one J. Donald, whoever that is).
Interested parties are encouraged to attend - the more support that can be mobilised the better as there is competition for the available funding.

http://www.irishcycling.com/publish/news/art_2160.shtml


New Mountain Bike trails for Oughterard, Co. Galway
By Press Release
Feb 1, 2007,

Coillte, the Irish Forestry Board, in partnership with Failte Ireland, are
proposing the development of a 17 kilometre network of mountain-biking
trails in Derroura forest property, near Oughterard in County Galway.
Derroura forest is located approximately 7 kilometres from Oughterard, off
the N59 Maam Cross road. The trails, which will cater for the
ever-increasing recreational cycling use of the country’s forests, will be
specially developed to ensure minimum impact and maximum sustainability in
the forest. A combination of purpose-built ‘singletrack’ or narrow
twisting trails, along with some existing forest roads will be used to
form the trail network.

This proposed development forms part of Coillte’s new approach to
management of an increasing number of recreational users of the country’s
forests. Where most users in the past accessed Coillte’s forests for
walking and hiking, many now want to pursue diverse activities such as
orienteering and mountain-biking, amongst others, in the state’s forests.

The proposed trail network in Derroura forest presents a great opportunity
to the local community to capitalise on a growing number of visitors to
their area, with similar mountain-bike trails in Wales becoming
destinations in their own right in recent years. It is intended to develop
a network of trails with sufficient diversity and challenge to project
Derroura forest as a destination for a cycling visit, with subsequent
spin-offs for accommodation, food and bike shop/hire providers in the
Oughterard area.

District Manager Myles Mac Donncadha states “The Recreation Policy Coillte
launched in 2006 clearly recognises the huge amount of recreational use
our forests support. This new mountain bike trail is an example of our
active expansion of recreation and will bring much needed diversity to
what is currently on offer to tourists and sports enthusiasts in the West
of Ireland”. Expected completion date is Autumn 2007.

To provide further information for the public on the proposed development
and consult on its route, it is intended to hold a public information
evening on Tuesday, February 27th from 7 pm to 9 pm in The Connemara
Gateway, Oughterard, Co. Galway. Cyclists, service providers and all
interested members of the community are invited to attend.

For further information, please contact Myles McDonncadha at 086-6050090

[ciaranclissmann]

17KM is hardly going to have the multitudes deserting Utah and N.Wales for Ugterard. You\'d exhaust that in a couple of hours.

Still, every little helps, and the wesht seems very short of trails (though bits of the W.Way are quite nice).

Ciaran

[JamieD]

This is just the start Ciaran, sure we all know that what can be done in the east can be done better in the west!

It is great to see Coilte finally recognising the recreational resources that they have.

Jamie