The new Ballyforan Greenway will be officially opened on Friday afternoon (April 25). Photograph taken from the Ballyforan Area Transition Team Facebook page.

New Ballyforan Greenway to officially open this week

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After eight months of development, the new 3.1km off-road Ballyforan Greenway will be officially opened on Friday afternoon (April 25) by Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications, Alan Dillon TD.

The ambitious €1 million development comprises a new 50 space car park, bicycle parking, pedestrian access paths, appropriate signage and fencing with entrance upgrades from local road L3406 on the site of a 250 acre cutaway bog site owned by Bord na Mona.

The new Greenway, located close to Ballyforan village is a loop in the townland of Derryfadda on the Roscommon/Galway border. A planning application for the project was submitted at the end of 2023 with approval granted in the second quarter of last year.

In 2020, Ballyforan Area Transition Team (BATT) secured funding through the Just Transition Fund for the local Greenway loop, the project taking eight months to complete.

The new shared walkway and cycleway has been delivered by Bord na Móna with support from BATT. Funding for the route, which is located on Bord na Mona lands, was secured through the Just Transition Fund which will fund 85% of the total cost of the project.

As a result, matched funding is also required for the project and BATT are currently looking for the public’s support by purchasing a fundraising brick for special a commemorative wall, which will be located in the Greenway car park.

To purchase a fundraising brick please visit

https://www.idonate.ie/forms/BallyforanGreenway.

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