New Euro cycle route does not include Killarney

Killarney has not been included in the EuroVelo 1 Cycling Route that was announced on Thursday this week.

The Irish segment of the EuroVelo 1 route is 2,350 km long and passes through eleven counties - Wexford, Waterford, Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Clare, Galway, Mayo, Sligo, Leitrim and Donegal as well as crossing into Northern Ireland for a further 250km.

Overall EuroVelo 1, also known as the Atlantic Coast Route, is 11,150km long and runs through Norway, UK, Ireland, France, Spain and Portugal.

It is, essentially, the Wild Atlantic Way for cyclists.

Section 16 (of 40 Irish sections) of the Irish route starts in Waterville and ends in Annascaul. Cyclists will be asked to turn left or right (depending on the direction of travel) in Killorglin, thus bypassing Killarney.

Minister of State Jack Chambers said:

“The Atlantic Coast Route travels through some of our most iconic landscapes passing through Counties Wex- ford, Waterford, Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Clare, Galway, Mayo, Sligo, Leitrim and Donegal. This EuroVelo 1 Cycling Route showcases the very best of our coastline and represents a valuable tourism product in attracting both overseas visitors as well as in encouraging domestic visitors to explore our Atlantic Coast.”

The Department of Transport has invested approximately €800,000 in the EuroVelo 1 Cycle Route. The route has been inspected to ensure high quality directional signage.