Revealed: Route chosen to link two sides of Kilkenny's Nore Valley Walk

A route linking the existing two sections of the Nore Valley Walk has been selected.
The scenic route will finally link Kilkenny City to Inistioge for walkers - once the project is completed.

Although only at an early stage of development, the route has the potential to link the city to Woodstock Estate and the South-East Greenway.

Reports on the route selection feasibility study were presented to local councillors at the recent meeting of Callan Thomastown Municipal District.

Acting Senior Engineer Frank Stafford, of Kilkenny County Council, said partners in the project have been Trails Kilkenny and Kilkenny Leader Partnership.

Currently the walk has two sections, of about 11km each, but walking from the city the route ends at Bennettsbridge and walking from Inistioge the route ends at Thomastown.
The proposed additional route will connect the two.

The study could not have been carried out with the cooperation of local landowners, which is greatly appreciated, and the project will only progress once the permissive consent of all 30 landowners has been agreed.

Mr Stafford told councillors that the benefits to the completed walking route would be both commercial and social.
Opportunities would be created along the route for accommodation and cafés while there would be physical and mental health benefits to locals and other users of the route.

The feasibility study assessed options on both sides of the River Nore and looked at five possible route options. Criteria assessed included flood risk, effects on archaeology and local nature and wildlife, river crossings, proportion of the route on the road and cost. Landowner consent was the major factor in route selection.

Mr Stafford said the project will not seek to purchase land for the route but will look for the ‘permissive agreement’ of landowners for the path to cross their lands. Landowner consent is required before the project proceeds to planning permission stage.

Planning can be progressed under Part 8 of the Planning and Development Act.
Mr Stafford suggested that the walking trail had the potential for funding under the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme (ORIS).

The route which has been selected as the preferred option is in an area parallel to the Dublin-Waterford rail line (as seen on the map above, highlighted in red).

“It’s a no-brainer, the popularity of this walk is huge,” District Chairperson, Cllr Deirdre Cullen said.
This was backed up by Cllr Patrick O’Neill who said a counter on the Kilkenny side of the walk showed 10,000 people had passed it.

Describing the walks as “an absolute joy,” Cllr Cullen said it is important the get this project ‘over the line’ with the Greenway ‘coming to Woodstock.’
“The continuation of the River Nore Walk is exactly what we are looking for,” she said.

Cllr O’Neill praised the amount of work on the project so far but reminded the meeting that they have to make sure all landowners along the route are happy, because they will have people walking through their land.
“We have to listen to the landowners and their concerns,” he said.
However, he said, walkers on his family’s farmland had in the past spotted animals that needed attention and he was grateful for their interest.
He said walkers need to ‘use their heads’ when it comes to walking with dogs and near livestock.