Irish leg of Eurovelo Cycling route to be completed with additional funding for Cork

The Europe-wide Eurovelo 1 cycle route will be clearly signposted through Cork by the end of the year, with €500,000 in funding allocated by the Minister for Transport, Eamon Ryan TD.

The Eurovelo 1 route runs along the Atlantic Coast from Norway to Portugal, crossing eleven Irish counties. The additional funding will see the entire Irish leg, from Donegal to Wexford, fully signposted.

Minister Ryan said:

“I am delighted to allocate €500,000 to Cork County Council to erect Eurovelo 1 signage throughout the county.

This is a Wild Atlantic Way for cyclists. It’s a safe, scenic route specially chosen by experts at the Department of Sport in conjunction with local authorities, and based on the Eurovelo standard set by the European Cyclists Federation. This is the last piece of the puzzle which will complete the route in Ireland. The new signage will clearly mark the 475km trail through county Cork, routing mainly along the coast, using quieter roads, and directing cyclists away from busier areas”.

This is a fantastic amenity to have right on our doorstep and I am sure the people of Cork and beyond will want to get on their bikes and give it a try”.

The funding forms part of the Department of Transport’s Greenway Programme worth €63.5 million, the highest single year amount ever allocated to this type of infrastructure.

Minister of State Hildegarde Naughton said:

“The funding allocated today affirms Cork’s rightful place on the Eurovelo 90,000 kilometre cycling routes across Europe. Having committed to invest almost €1million per day in walking and cycling this year, Government continues to embrace and facilitate the growing appetite for active travel that we have seen since the beginning of the pandemic”.

Note to Editor:

Eurovelo 1 (The Atlantic Coast Route) is 11,000 kilometres long and stretches from Norway, through Scotland and Northern Ireland into Donegal and follows the coast of Ireland through Leitrim, Sligo, Mayo, Galway, Clare, Limerick, Kerry, Cork, Waterford before finishing in Ireland at Rosslare. It then continues through Wales, England, France and Spain before concluding in Portugal.

Eurovelo is a network of 17 cycling routes, comprising 90,000 kilometres, along the length and breadth of Europe.