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Last Updated: May 20th, 2008 - 17:49:31 |
New Mountain Bike trails for Oughterard, Co. Galway
By Press Release
Feb 1, 2007,
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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.
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