Athlone to Mullingar Cycleway facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Athlone to Mullingar Cycleway |
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Bridge on the greenway
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| Length | 42 kilometres (26 miles) |
| Location | County Westmeath, Ireland |
| Use | Cycling, Walking |
| Hiking details | |
| Trail difficulty | Easy |
| Season | Any |
| Surface | Tarmac |
| Website | Athlone.ie |
The Athlone to Mullingar Cycleway (also known as Old Rail Trail) is a long-distance cycling and walking trail in County Westmeath, which forms a section of the Dublin-Galway Greenway. It is a 42 kilometres long rail-trail over the disused Athlone-Mullingar rail line beginning in Athlone and ending in Mullingar.
History
The route was originally opened c. 1850 as a railway line by the Midland Great Western Railway and was the first to reach Athlone from Dublin. The line was closed c. 1987 with trains using the former Great Southern and Western Railway line to reach Athlone.
The Moate-Garrycastle section was officially opened by Taoiseach Enda Kenny in October 2015. In September 2015 the Westmeath Independent reported that the greenway could provide a "€15m boost" to the local economy.
The section has been extended up to Ballymahon road (White gates) in December 2016 and will eventually extend into Athlone town.
Plans, by a community development organisation in Kilbeggan, County Westmeath, are underway to connect the Greenway to the Offaly Cycleways at Kilbeggan with a greenway to Tullamore, County Offaly. Work is planned to begin by summer 2016.
A new bridge to cross the River Shannon in Athlone has been allocated €8.1m funding and is planned to begin construction in June 2021.
Access points
The following is a list of the access points to the cycleway.
| Location | Distance from Athlone (km) | Distance to Mullingar (km) | Coordinates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whitegates, Athlone | - | 42 | 53.427995, -7.931805 |
| Garrycastle, Athlone | - | 40 | 53.422411, -7.899979 |
| Mount Temple | 6 | 34 | 53.402258, -7.816096 |
| Maghermore | 8 | 32 | 53.399294, -7.781841 |
| Moate (Dún na Sí Park) | 12 | 28 | 53.398406, -7.736041 |
| Moate (Station) | 12 | 28 | 53.399177, -7.723514 |
| Rosemount | 18 | 22 | 53.415931, -7.641321 |
| Lisnagree | 21 | 19 | 53.415931, -7.641321 |
| Streamstown | 23 | 17 | 53.435258, -7.570478 |
| Garhy (R391) | 26.2 | 13.8 | 53.450029, -7.531310 |
| Castletown Station | 28 | 12 | 53.454793, -7.522229 |
| Dysart | 30 | 10 | 53.476641, -7.480747 |
| Ballinea | 36 | 4 | 53.502709, -7.431523 |
| Bellmount | 37.2 | 2.8 | 53.508298, -7.403209 |
| Kilpatrick | 38.4 | 1.6 | 53.509364, -7.390320 |
| Mullingar Newbrook (Canal Link) | 40 | - | 53.517095, -7.368273 |
| Mullingar Newbrook (Roundabout Access) | 42 | - | 53.509364, -7.390320 |
