[2021] - Irischronicle

Local businesses along the route have already begun preparing for an influx of cyclists and walkers. In the village of Newtowncunningham, café owner Siobhán McGinty told The Irish Chronicle : “For years, people just passed through. Now, they’ll stop. This is the first real investment here in a generation.”

“You’ll be walking where smugglers once walked, and later, where soldiers stood guard,” said local historian Éamonn Ó Dochartaigh. “But now it’s just a path. That’s the quiet miracle of it.” irischronicle

— Would you like a different tone — more political, satirical, or focused on Irish diaspora or historical topics? Local businesses along the route have already begun

For more on this story, including an interactive map of the route and a Q&A with the project’s lead architect, see page 4 of this week’s print edition or visit our special feature at irischronicle.com/greenway. This is the first real investment here in a generation

Officials from both sides of the border cut the ribbon yesterday at a low-key ceremony near St. Johnston, with Derry City and Strabane District Council describing the route as “a living example of cross-community cooperation.”

The greenway opens to the public on June 10th. Cycling and walking are free, with bike hire available in Letterkenny and Derry. A shuttle bus will run along parallel roads for those wishing to complete one-way journeys.

LETTERKENNY – In a move hailed as a “bridge not just over rivers, but between communities,” the long-awaited North West Greenway is set to open to the public next month, connecting the rugged landscapes of County Donegal with the historic walls of Derry.