€200k funding for N22 Ballyvourney-Macroom active travel greenway

Funding of €200,000 has been allocated for the N22 Bally­vour­ney-Mac­room act­ive travel gre­en­way under the Trans­port Infra­struc­ture Ire­land (TII) gre­en­way and act­ive travel alloc­a­tion for 2026.

The project seeks to repurpose the old N22 route for walking and cycling, following the completion of the N22 bypass.

The N22 Ballyvourney-Macroom active travel greenway project aims to provide a safe, sustainable, and accessible active travel route for local communities, along with supporting tourism and regional development in the area.

Cork North West Fianna Fáil TD Aindrias Moynihan told The Echo: “I very much welcome the funding. It is to improve walking and cycling infrastructure locally.

“This funding will help the council to bring along the plan and make it more real.

“It is planned to do it in three phases. There is works lined up for Macroom, for Ballyvourney, and for the old N22 in between as well.” 

Mr Moynihan added: “Cork County Council are very much in the driving seat on it. TII have provided funding to the council to bring together the plan.

“It is to tie it down now and get the plan agreed and move it on to the next stages.

“It can have a tourism benefit. But my priority is for safer access for vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists. People who want to get around the town or the village, walking to the shop, or cycling to school.” 

Cork North West Sinn Féin senator Nicole Ryan told The Echo that a greenway between Macroom and Ballyvourney is something that would be hugely welcomed by residents in the local and surrounding areas.

“I have actually been working with some of the residents in Ballyvourney. If you are in Ballyvourney, the footpath just stops beyond Ballymakeery.

“But there are a lot of walkers and they are looking to extend the footpath up to the new roundabout by the N22.

“So this is something that under that fund could be possible, to put that in and extend the footpath."