Last Thursday, 10 April 2025, Irish Cycling Campaign attended the Shared Island Forum in St. Patrick’s Hall in Dublin Castle. We were invited along as an awardee of the Shared Island Civic Society Fund 2024, and as the national advocacy organisation for cycling in Ireland. Flying the ICC flag on the day was Dr. Damien Ó Tuama, our National Cycling Coordinator.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin was the keynote speaker and he explained the Shared Island Initiative as a suite of projects where we are “building relationships while we are busy doing other things”. In Irish Cycling Campaign’s case, we are running a project entitled “Cycling across borders – exchanging know-how between cycling advocacy organisations, North and South“ along with Cycling UK Northern Ireland as we reported on recently here.
And as part of that project, we are delighted to be running a special session at the Leitrim Cycling Festival which takes place from 23-25 May 2025 – see https://leitrimcyclingfestival.com/ and the images below. Our Shared Island session will be at 2pm on the Saturday, details to be made available over the coming weeks.
We were glad to hear of active travel and greenway schemes referred to in both the Taoiseach’s formal address and in the ‘fireside chat’ with the event moderator Lynette Fay, a BBC radio and TV presenter. The Taoiseach also mentioned his desire to see a really iconic North – South greenway / active travel project developed.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Lynette Fay at the fireside chat in Dublin Castle
We were not sure if he was referring to schemes currently advancing or being enhanced in the Donegal / Derry area (see https://www.interregeurope.eu/good-practices/north-west-greenway-network), those around the Carlingford area (https://www.carlingfordloughgreenway.ie/) or those associated with the Ulster Canal (see here for the details of the Ulster Canal Greenway Strategy) – or perhaps a newer proposal altogether? He also made reference to the Narrow Water Bridge, currently under construction, which will connect communities in the Omeath area of Co Louth with those in Narrow Water, Co Down. Either way, it’s great to see the appreciation of and support for the development of high quality cycling routes from the very top.
The remainder of the Shared Island Forum brought together a diverse array of traditional musicians and those involved in various community, cultural and research activities. The final session considered questions around climate, biodiversity and water, all of which are quintessentially cross border in nature, and where active travel and the decarbonisation of transport connect in.
In conclusion, Irish Cycling Campaign was delighted to be there at the event, and to be meeting with representatives across the political, cultural, academic and advocacy realms, and building new connections, North and South.
Note: The ‘Shared Island Initiative Report 2024 – Action on a Shared Future’ sets out the fourth year of the Shared Island Initiative, and how the government has taken forward its commitment to engage with all communities and traditions to build a shared future on the island, underpinned by the Good Friday Agreement. The report was published on 10 April 2025 and is available at https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-the-taoiseach/campaigns/shared-island/.
See page 47 of the report for a note on Irish Cycling Campaign and Cycling UK NI’s participation in Round 3 of the Shared Island Civic Society Fund.
Well used bike-parking stands (of a minimalist design type) at the Lower Yard of Dublin Castle
For Immediate ReleaseCycling Must Be at the Heart of Climate Action Plan 2025
As the Climate Action Plan 2025 (CAP25) is set to go to Cabinet today, the Irish Cycling Campaign is calling on government to clearly back cycling as a core climate solution – and to protect the funding and delivery needed to make it work.
Transport remains Ireland’s fastest-growing source of carbon emissions. If we’re serious about cutting emissions in line with our 2030 targets and our next five year carbon budget, we need fewer cars on the road and more people walking, wheeling and cycling. The upcoming CAP25 is a crucial test of whether the government is willing to take that challenge seriously.
“We need to complete safe, connected cycling networks across all our local authorities in this government’s term – not just plan them,” said Neasa Bheilbigh, Chairperson of the Irish Cycling Campaign. “The infrastructure that’s already in development can transform how people move in towns and cities across Ireland, but only if the political will and funding are there to deliver it.”
While recent years have seen a welcome increase in funding for cycling and walking, the delivery of infrastructure has been uneven. Without strong support in CAP25, Ireland risks falling short on its climate and transport goals.
The Irish Cycling Campaign joins a wide range of civil society voices in calling for a credible Climate Action Plan that prioritises proven solutions like active travel that reduce emissions, improve public health, and create more liveable communities as we move towards our 2030 targets.
ENDS
Additional Stats on Transport Emissions:
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), between 1990 and 2023, transport emissions increased by 129.2%, rising from 5.14 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent to 11.79 million tonnes. This growth is the largest among all sectors during that period. By 2023, transport accounted for 21.4% of Ireland’s total greenhouse gas emissions, up from 9.3% in 1990.
The Irish Cycling Campaign is deeply saddened by the heartbreaking news from Galway, where a 6 year old girl lost her life following a road traffic incident while cycling.
Our thoughts and heartfelt sympathies are with her family, friends, and all those affected by this devastating loss. No parent should ever have to endure such grief. No child should ever be unsafe on our roads – whether walking, cycling, or travelling in any way.
This tragedy is a stark reminder of why we and so many others continue to campaign for safer streets, especially for our most vulnerable road users. It is simply unacceptable that in 2025, families still have to fear for their children’s safety when they cycle or walk in their own communities.
We echo the calls already being made across Galway and beyond for urgent investment in safe, segregated cycling infrastructure – not just in cities, but in towns and rural areas too. Nationally, we need a step change in how we design our roads, prioritising safety, accessibility, and dignity for people of all ages and abilities.
We will continue to advocate for the changes needed to ensure this kind of tragedy never happens again. Every child deserves to get home safely.
Neasa Bheilbigh
Chairperson of the Executive Committee Irish Cycling Campaign
Earlier today (Wed 02 April 2025), representatives from the Irish Cycling Campaign (ICC) met with Minister for Transport, Darragh O’Brien, to discuss priorities for cycling and walking in Ireland. ICC’s team comprised Neasa Bheilbigh, Dave Tobin and Damien Ó Tuama.
The discussions focused on the importance of stable, multi-annual funding for active travel projects, strengthening delivery structures, aligning Road Safety Authority (RSA) reforms with cycling needs, and ensuring active travel remains central to national transport policy.
Minister O’Brien reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to active travel and acknowledged the importance of sustained investment to complete cycling networks in cities and towns across the country. He expressed strong support for progressing safe, high-quality cycling infrastructure and ensuring local authority Active Travel teams have the resources and expertise needed for effective project delivery.
The Minister also recognised the role of active travel in improving road safety, reducing emissions, and supporting healthier, more liveable communities. He pledged to work with the National Transport Authority (NTA), the Department of Transport and Local Authorities to accelerate delivery and ensure cycling remains a key pillar of the Government’s transport strategy over the coming years.
The Irish Cycling Campaign welcomes the Minister’s support and looks forward to working together to turn these commitments into real improvements for people cycling across Ireland. We appreciate the Minister’s time and engagement, and look forward to continued collaboration in the months and years ahead.
The Irish Cycling Campaign’s National Meeting, held on Saturday, March 29th, 2025, at the Citizen Innovation Lab in Limerick City, brought together cycling advocates, policy experts, and local representatives from across the country. The event underscored Limerick’s emergence as a leader in sustainable transport and showcased the city’s commitment to high-quality cycling infrastructure.
Neasa Bheilbigh, Chair of the Irish Cycling Campaign with Senator Maria Byrne (FG), Cllr Peter Doyle (FG), Cllr Joe Leddin (Lab) and Damien Ó Tuama, National Cycling Coordinator.
Friday Evening: Three Bridges Critical Mass Cycle
The gathering commenced on Friday evening with the Three Bridges Critical Mass Cycle. Participants convened at Colbert Station before departing from Merchant’s Quay Council Building. This spirited ride through Limerick’s scenic routes fostered camaraderie among attendees and highlighted the city’s cyclist-friendly initiatives.
Saturday: Engaging Panels and Infrastructure Exploration
Saturday’s agenda was rich with insightful discussions and interactive sessions:
Effective Communication for Active Travel and Behaviour Change: Panelists explored strategies to promote cycling and active travel, emphasizing the importance of clear messaging and community engagement.
Inclusion & Representation in Active Travel: This session addressed the challenges faced by underrepresented groups in cycling, advocating for inclusive policies and infrastructure that cater to all members of the community.
Public Perspectives on Cycle Infrastructure in Limerick: Led by Ross Higgins and the Active Travel Office, this panel delved into submissions on local infrastructure projects, and discussed future plans to enhance consultation.
Panel on Inclusion and representation in Active Travel; Ross Higgins (UL), Sally Wilson (Limerick Sports Partnership), Hannah Jannsen (Paul Partnership), Clara Clark (Cycling without Age), Maria O’Dwyer (social researcher) and Anne Cronin (Limerick Cycling Campaign)
In the afternoon, attendees participated in an Infrastructure Cycle led by the Limerick Active Travel Team. This hands-on experience allowed participants to assess current cycling routes and provided valuable feedback for ongoing and future projects.
Keynote Speakers and Community Engagement
The event featured esteemed speakers, including John Moran, UL researcher Ross Higgins, and Sean McGlynn of Limerick Active Travel. Their insights into urban planning, research findings, and practical implementations enriched the discussions and inspired attendees.
Senior Engineer Dan Slavin from the Limerick Active Travel Team giving the background to the Childer’s Road scheme on Limerick’s south side during the Infrastructure Cycle.
Looking Ahead
The National Meeting not only celebrated Limerick’s advancements in cycling infrastructure but also reinforced the collective commitment to promoting active travel nationwide. The Irish Cycling Campaign extends heartfelt gratitude to all participants, speakers, and organizers who contributed to the event’s success.
As we reflect on the fruitful discussions and shared experiences, we are reminded of the power of collaboration in driving positive change. We look forward to building upon this momentum and continuing our efforts to create a more sustainable and cycling-friendly Ireland.
Some additional photos of attendees of the national meeting in Limerick.
Irish Cycling Campaign is thrilled to announce its participation in a Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade organised Shared Island Civic Society Fund initiative. The project is entitled “Cycling across borders – exchanging know-how between cycling advocacy organisations, North and South“, and it involves a close collaboration with Cycling UK Northern Ireland.
Over the course of the project, we will be working alongside many community based cycling campaigning organisations in Northern Ireland, in the border counties and across the whole island.
The Shared Island Civic Society Fund is an initiative designed to promote practical North South cooperation. It aims to encourage and support civic society and community organisations to further strengthen existing partnerships and/or to develop new cross-border links, to build connectivity, and to work together to ensure an inclusive and diverse island.
On the commencement of the project Neasa Bheilbigh, Chair of the Executive Committee of ICC, said:
“Irish Cycling Campaign is really delighted to have its work recognised by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and for it to fund this project which brings together cycling advocates from Northand South to share know-how on everyday cycling campaigning across the island. We are really looking forward to exchanging experiences and ideas with sustainable transport advocates in Northern Ireland”.
Andrew McClean, Cycling UK’s Northern Ireland Lead, said that Cycling UK was very happy to be joining forces with Irish Cycling Campaign on this project:
“Both Cycling UK and the Irish Cycling Campaign are members of the European Cyclists’ Federation, and between us we have decades of experience pushing for cycling to be seen as a core part of transport and public health. In working more closely together, our aim is to get the government to recognise the huge benefits cycling can bring, strengthening our public health, economy and sustainability commitments.”
One exciting strand of the project will be spending time at the lovely Leitrim Cycling Festival, which this year takes place in the village of Tullaghan on the coast of Leitrim from 23-25 May https://leitrimcyclingfestival.com/. Lead organiser of the festival, Jo Sachs Eldridge, said:
“It’s just wonderful that this Shared Island project is happening, and Leitrim Cycling Festival is delighted to be a part of it. We look forward to welcoming everyone to Leitrim in May, and particularly for our special session on exchanging creative ideas on cycle campaigning in urban and rural contexts, and all across the island, North and South. Details to be announced soon!”
Then later in 2025 (most likely in the Autumn), Irish Cycling Campaign and Cycling UK NI will co-organise a special edition of the Gathering of Cycling Campaigners, that will follow the equivalent event happening in Limerick on Sat 29th March (as per this post). Both Gatherings are all about exchanging stories and top tips on creating strong everyday cycling cultures in our communities. Details to be made available in due course.
If you are interested in connecting into the “Cycling across borders” project, please contact Dr. Damien Ó Tuama, National Cycling Coordinator with Irish Cycling Campaign or Andrew McClean of Cycling UK NI (see below).
This page here shows the composition of the Irish Cycling Campaign Executive Committee for the year of 2024, following on from its Annual General Meeting held on 29 February 2024!
The refreshed Executive Committee included some members who were part of the previous EC (that ran from late 2021 to early 2024), but it also brought in three new faces – Sinéad Halpin (Cork), Kevin Jennings (Galway) and Vinnie Wall (Cork).
Neasa Bheilbigh (Galway Cycling Campaign)
I have been the Chairperson of Irish Cycling Campaign for the last two years (plus). I am also a member of the Galway Cycling Campaign and the Galway Cycle Bus. I have seen the impact active travel can have on children’s physical, social and emotional well-being and am passionate about creating an environment in which children can travel to school safely and independently. I see cycling advocacy as something that should be inclusive and believe strongly that those of all ages and abilities should be enabled to cycle. I have two young children and we love getting around town and going on adventures on our cargo bike.
I am the current Public Relations Officer of Limerick Cycling Campaign. I am a primary school teacher in a suburban Limerick school, and also act as treasurer and board member for the Northside Family Resource Centre in Moyross, Limerick. Additionally, I currently represent the environmental pillar of the Limerick PPN on the Limerick Local Community Development Committee (LCDC). I have a strong focus on social inclusion both in terms of prioritising infrastructure projects in our city communities that have been historically left behind, and also ensuring that voices from all sections of our community are integral to the work of our group.
I am a founding member and Secretary of Navan Cycling Initiative and have played a key role organising events, creating maps and encouraging the cycling ecosystem. While new to cycling advocacy, I have been a keen cyclist for a number of years, though I draw the line at wearing lycra. In my day job, I am a freelance software product consultant, and have a background in IT and software development.
Will Andrews (Dublin Cycling Campaign)
Will is a dyed-in-the-wool Dub who started commuting by bike in Dublin in 1983. An architect from East Wall, he was honoured to serve as chair of Dublin Cycling Campaign from 2009 to 2012.
He’s worked on training kids and adults in confident cycling, helping engage HGV drivers in structured training that increased their empathy for cyclists, and has run bike parades and ride-outs. Will has a keen interest in cities that are vibrant and sustainable and, as part of an M.Sc. course on ‘Urban Environment’ in UCD’s School of Geography, studied the public health impacts of the proposed permanent Liffey Cycle Route, finding them to potentially offer savings in health costs of over €200 million.
I started Leitrim Cycling Festival to celebrate bicycles and communities and to find other people who also think cycling might be the answer to so many questions. I’m so pleased to have discovered this proactive, committed, growing group of cycling advocates – it makes change seem much more possible. Before I returned home to Leitrim I worked as a Transport Planner in the UK where I specialised in active travel and believe asking the right people the right questions (and really listening!) is the key to the development of good quality, useful routes.
Sinéad Halpin (Cork Cycling Campaign)
I am a native of Cork City’s northside, currently living and cycling in Mayfield. I am a mum of two and can be seen with them on the back of my long tail cargo bike on the way to their school and then onto my own work as a second level teacher. I have been cycling regularly since getting my first bike in early 2020. I became involved with the Cork Cycling Campaign and I’ve been active in organising and taking part in events for the past few years. My specific interest is in advocating for cycling infrastructure for the people of the city and country that have been left without it, the traditionally more marginalised and the under-represented.
Kevin Jennings (Galway Cycling Campaign)
I have been active in cycling advocacy fairly intensely for the past five years, having been inspired to take action by seeing my now friends in the Galway CycleBus. I’ve served as chairperson of Galway Cycling Campaign for three busy years from July 2019. I’ve gone through the stages of seeing our roads with the eyes of a confident cycler, as a companion of a cycler carrying a child, having children on the back of the bike or in trailers and having children cycling alongside us. My eldest child (12) now cycles to some of his sporting events and is ready to go alone. I’m worried sick. I’m learning to see the world from the perspective of disabled people, older people or carers but there’s no substitute for lived experience.
Vinnie Wall (Cork)
I’m a consultant anaesthesiologist working in Cork having returned from Paris. I’m hugely passionate about movement from a health perspective and would argue that getting into a car every day is a wasted health opportunity. You were born to move! I’ve been an active cycle advocate in the past and pushed the Cork hospital cycleway in 2020 and I’m a member of Irish Doctors for the Environment and I’ve done a diploma in public health. The number of road deaths in Ireland is unacceptable and I believe road violence is a public health emergency.
Damien Ó Tuama (National Cycling Coordinator)
While not an elected member of the Executive Committee, our National Cycling Coordinator supports and works closely with the Irish Cycling Campaign’s EC.
Damien has held the Irish Cycling Campaign (formerly Cyclist.ie) National Cycling Coordinator post since 2013, a position shared with An Taisce. His current focus is in supporting Irish Cycling Campaign’s 30+ Local Groups and advancing the goals of our strategy. He worked in the transportation space for over 20 years, and completed his doctoral research exploring transitions in mobility systems in 2015 (in Trinity College Dublin).
Damien is currently also an Evaluator and Steering Committee member for research projects under the EPA Research Programme Annual Call under the pillars of Climate and Sustainability. He spent five years on the board of the European Cyclists’ Federation (2016-2021), and in 2020 was appointed to the board of Transport Infrastructure Ireland following a Public Appointments Service process. Damien enjoys music, gigs, DIY and adventures!
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Details of the 2021-23 Executive Committee can be found here.
The hosts of the previous Erasmus+ Generations Cycling for Inclusion and Climate Action project trips that Irish Cycling Campaign took part in set incredibly high standards with their stimulating programmes and by looking after their guests so well, so we were a little nervous in ICC in devising a Dublin programme that could match the quality of the previous ones. We were keen to ensure that everyone had rich and educational experiences of our capital city and surrounds.
But with the help of many fabulous volunteers from ICC – and, in particular, members of our Local Group, Dublin Cycling Campaign – we assembled a diverse programme that responded to the four big themes of the project: climate action, sustainable transport, social inclusion and intergenerational collaborations.
In this article, four of our active volunteers – Damien, Allison, Phil and Hugh – each provide a summary of the four core days of the programme, with further inputs and photographs shared by other ICC members.
There are many to thank for their support with the programme, but we wish to pay a special thanks to the Lord Mayor of Dublin, James Geoghegan, for his warm welcome to the city, and also to the staff of Dublin City Council for the loan of their Cycling Without Age trishaw which made a massive difference in terms of making our events fully inclusive for all of the Erasmus participants.
Friday 11 Oct [Damien Ó Tuama and Allison Roberts]
The Tailors’ Hall Session The Dublin leg kicked off in the lovely Tailors’ Hall on Back Lane after the visitors walked (and wheeled) their way over from the Generator Hostel on Smithfield Square where the group of 45 persons stayed.
Mairéad Forsythe, Chairperson of Irish Cycling Campaign, gave the formal welcome on behalf of ICC. She was followed by ICC’s National Cycling Coordinator, Damien Ó Tuama, who shared some of the history of the 300+ year old Tailors’ Hall, and introduced the group to the work of An Taisce and Irish Cycling Campaign. He also gave the group some insights into what’s happening with the Active Travel plans in Dublin City, and into the latest news on the development of the capital’s cycle facilities (as shown on the map below, kindly provided by the City Council).
Hugh and Chifly with the latest iteration of the Dublin City Cycle Network map
Following this local scene setting, each of the six partner organisations who had travelled to Dublin gave a mini-update on the latest news from their cities and towns.
Students from IES Alhama introducing their school and the latest news from Corella
Crucial to any visitor landing into Ireland is getting a grasp of the local lingo, and Hugh Raftery from Dublin Cycling Campaign shared some essential Hiberno-English phrases and descriptors of the Irish weather as shown here.
Hugh with the first of his posters listing the essential descriptors for the types of rainy conditions that students might encounter on their trip
The morning session concluded with two very interesting presentations which responded squarely to two of the overarching themes of the project.
Firstly, Przemek and Greg from Merchants Quay Ireland spoke to the students and the teachers about the work their organisation does. In essence, Merchants Quay Ireland, a registered charity that supports people affected by homelessness and addiction, offers food, advice, health care, mental health support and addiction services. It offers accessible and effective services in a non-judgemental and compassionate way.
The second mini-workshop was delivered by Solene from Voice, an Irish environmental charity that empowers individuals and local communities to take positive action to conserve our natural resources. Solene, pictured below, is working on the ”Fabric of Change” project, which is all about helping consumers understand the impact of their clothing choices on the environment, and empowering them to make more sustainable decisions. The attendees certainly came away from her session with a much clearer understanding of how fashion is one of the most polluting industries worldwide, creating major social and environmental issues.
Solene Schirrer from Voice
A Walking Tour of the City with Alita Irish Cycling Campaign was thrilled to have Alita Rivero to lead the walking tour of Dublin City. Alita is an Argentinian Dubliner who produced and edited the monthly Dublin Cycling Campaign newsletter for almost 10 years, and has a wonderful knowledge of the lanes and lore of the city. The group sampled many slices of the city as shown in some of the photos below.
Alita Rivera (on the right) leading the walking tour at St. Patrick’s Park – Photo Credit – Biciclistas De Corella
The walking tour included a quick visit to Drury Street Bicycle Parking Facility – Photo Credit – Biciclistas De Corella
A mini-stop on the Millennium Bridge – Photo Credit – Biciclistas De Corella
The trishaw and Bloomin Crumlin’s e-cargo bike made everything easier for our tour around the city – Photo Credit – Biciclistas De Corella
Dinner in Blas Café (Allison) We gathered at the Blas café (located in an old chocolate factory!) for our evening dinner, and were greeted with Irish tunes played by Brendan (on the uilleann pipes) and Joe (on guitar) – as pictured below. Hassan, our host and chef, put out canapes of little breads with beetroot hummus and then a buffet for us all to dig in. Everyone was hungry! The potatoes, chickpeas and salad (and chicken for the meat lovers) were all delicious, as were the dips, yoghurt and jalapeno. Definitely worth a visit if you haven’t been there! See https://www.blascafe.ie/.
Joe and Brendan entertaining the guests
A live sample from the session – Footage kindly provided by Karen Keogh from Newtown School
After dinner, we headed back to the Generator Hostel, where Ari and I were able to bunk in with Libya and Aroa, teachers from the Estella team.
Hugh and Damien receiving home grown melons from villa Maria and other edible gifts from Corella!
Saturday 12 Oct – Cycle Tour to Howth via Mud Island & Bull Island Nature Reserve [Allison]
On Saturday we woke early and enjoyed a buffet breakfast in the basement of the Generator hostel. Ari & I had brought up Clon Bike Fest t-towels which we had just enough for all the teachers and adults 🙂
Clockwise from front left – Ari, Chifly, Margarida, Edmundo, Tono and Cristina
At 9am we headed outside where rental bikes arrived from Irish Cycling Safaris (thanks Marion!) and River Cycles (thank you Paul!). The students and teachers chose their bikes and took a lap of the square to check the fit and brakes! Between the crew staying at the Generator Hostel and the 15+ Irish Cycling Campaign marshals, we had a full team of around 60 of us on bikes ready for the trip. Ari & I opted to marshall the rear of the bike convoy, along with Paul Corcoran from ICC on his cargo bike.
A brief encounter with Luke Kelly en route! – Photo – Biciclistas de Corella
Alita from Dublin Cycling Campaign – Photo – Biciclistas de Corella
We wove our way east alongside the Liffey and navigated lots of traffic lights, buses and drivers. When we reached the Convention Centre, we headed north towards our first stop at Mud Island Community Gardens. We spent about two hours at the gardens, looking around and learning about the project and the various wild herbs there as well as all around Ireland – from the importance of beauty and roses in treating shock (they were used as decoration for post-traumatic stress centers post war for soldiers), to alder as an important anti-bacterial, nettles as an important activator for the lymphatic system, and plantain as the best cure for nettle stings and good for healing wounds and digestive health!
Ari and I are still talking about the man who gave us the tour (Aaron Foley) and how he rubbed nettles all over his arms saying “they are only painful because we have been taught to think that” while he was covered in stings! After we got back to Clonakilty, Ari got a bunch of nettle stings and tried out the “it doesn’t really hurt it only tingles” tactic and it seemed to work!
Aaron Foley explains the importance of biodiversity in our world – Photo by Allison
Playtime in Mud Island with Danielle and Snoobles (Photo by Denis)
We learnt that the Mud Island Community garden was on an old dumping ground and only after years of appeals to the Council was it handed over to become a community garden. It now thrives as a social and inclusive space run completely by volunteers. After the tour, we had a load of sandwiches delivered from the nearby Cloud Café and set off then to continue onwards on our cycle.
We headed north along the City Centre to Clontarf cycle route and then onto the coastal cycleway. This was a great easy and flat cycle – with one good downpour that soaked us all but then the sun came straight out again! Next stop was Bull Island – an area of particular national importance for its dunes and biodiversity. We were very grateful to have with us Karin Dubsky, the Coordinator of Coastwatch Ireland, and Dave Tilly, a very knowledgeable local man with a particular understanding of how the intertidal zone functions and changes. So many birds and other creatures depend on the dunes there for food and nesting.
Ari and I had to then cut our visit short and we made our way for the last few kilometres to Howth for a Dart to Tara Street, and then cycled back west along the Liffey, and onto the train back to Cork!
Bull Island sea shells – Photo – Biciclistas de Corella
En route on the coastal cycleway – Photo Credit – Biciclistas De Corella
Photo Credit – Damien Ó Tuama
Meanwhile the rest of the Erasmus gang finished up their tour with Karin and David, and made their way to Howth for fish and chips at Wrights of Howth. After the bikes were collected, the crew continued their multi-modal day’s journeys by DART back to the city and then by foot (and tram) to the Generator.
A big thanks from Irish Cycling Campaign to all of our marshals who helped out over the course of the day. They were: Alina, Alita, Allison, Ciarán, Damien, Deirdre, Denis, Hugh, Mairéad, María, Patrick, Paul, Phil, Rory and Siobhán.
Sunday 13 Oct – Wicklow Day [Phil]
Nine AM was our pick-up time to be brought by coach to visit Beyond the Trees in the Avondale Estate in Co. Wicklow. The morning was overcast and pretty cold for a mid October day, so being well wrapped up was a good call.
Avondale House and Estate is the birthplace of Irish independence pioneer, Charles Stuart Parnell. It is also the home of Samuel Hayes, a man ahead of his time. Not only did he write Ireland’s first book devoted to trees, but he also realised that the native forests of Ireland were disappearing. He knew the solution was in afforestation and managing woodlands, so he set about creating a forest park on his land. After nearly 300 years since Hayes’ time, many of the trees survive today and are in a healthy and mature state. It’s through this forest where a 1.4km long treetop walk and viewing tower has recently been built and where we began our guided tour.
Photo – Phil Murray
Beautifully constructed from locally sourced wood, the treetop walk has a gentle gradient but at its peak is 23 metres off the forest floor. It’s designed to be fully accessible for all ages and abilities. One of the elderly members of our party who has mobility issues availed of a wheelchair provided by the guide.
As we made our way along we were told stories of the history of the estate as well as the forest and wildlife. Bats were found living in the attic of the estate house during renovations. As a protected species, provision was made to allow the bats to easily get in and out via small openings in the sloped roof. We also learned of the reintroduction of birds of prey such as the red kite and the return of the red squirrel – the native Irish squirrel that was pushed out by the invasive grey squirrel. It is believed that the hunting skills of the pinemartins have reduced grey squirrel numbers and thus allowed the red squirrel to regain its territory.
At the end of the walkway we arrived at the spectacular 38m high viewing tower. This huge and impressive structure – like the walkway – used locally sourced timber and was accessed by a gently sloping walk-way. 11 levels up to the top and we were met with a beautiful autumnal view of the local Avondale forest, rolling green fields and distant mountain peaks. Wicklow’s highest peak at 950m, Lugnaquilla was easily visible in a north-western direction.
Photo – Phil Murray
There were two options to descend the tower: take the walkway eleven levels down, or else take a high-speed (13 second long) option via a stainless steel tube slide. Needless to say, almost our entire group took the slide including our eldest and least mobile member. Some of the younger members took the slide a few times.
Photo – Phil Murray
Following a delicious lunch on site, a group of us went on a one-hour walk around the grounds. Taking us through mature forests, past an old train line and along the banks of the Avondale River it was a fitting end to a highly enjoyable day immersed in nature.
Aroa, Libia and Phil – Photo Credit – Biciclistas De Corella
The day did not end with the Wicklow trip though. After getting back to the Generator, the crew headed to upstairs in Slattery’s on Capel Street for some traditional grub, Dublin style. After the day outdoors and all the walking, their food went down well.
Monday 14 Oct – Lord Mayor’s Reception / Further City Explorations [Hugh]
Our final day kicked off with a visit to the Mansion House in Dublin and to meet James Geoghegan, the 356th Lord Mayor of Dublin. In what has now become an annual tradition, the Dublin Cycling Campaign presented the Lord Mayor with a bicycle for use over his term of office – see the separate Dublin Cycling Campaign story on this here. The group were delighted to get the chance to meet him outside the Mansion House.
Photo – Dublin Cycling Campaign
Photo – Dublin Cycling Campaign
We were welcomed into the Oak Room of the Mansion House, with an extended meeting with the Lord Mayor. He told us about the history of the Lord Mayor’s office. We then presented him with some gifts from Spain and Poland.
Photo – Courtesy of Dublin City Council
Lord Mayor of Dublin, James Geoghegan, addressing the Erasmus guests
A symbolic gift from Corella – Photo Credit – Biciclistas De Corella
While in the Oak Room, we had a “Science Buzz” presentation by Michael Grehan. Michael is a Science Teacher from Belvedere College Dublin, and he demonstrated how physics is key to getting around by bicycle and to exploring the world around us. His demonstration was a real treat for both the teachers and the students.
Michael Grehan demonstrating the gyroscopic effect! Photo – Carlos Isaba
In the afternoon, the teachers and adults met in the café of the National Gallery for the Coordinators meeting of the Generations Cycling for Inclusion and Climate Action project, while the students had some free time to explore the city further. Later in the afternoon then, we gathered at Foster Place for a Bike Disco organised by An Taisce to celebrate Climate Action Week, and the students had a chance to participate on a multi-person bike bus as shown below.
Photo Credit – Biciclistas De Corella
End of the Bike Disco outside of the offices of An Taisce on Foster Place – Photo – An Taisce
The four day / five night Learning / Teaching / Training trip finished up that night in the Generator Hostel with the awarding of certificates to all of the hard working participants, and with singing and mingling running late into the night.
In Conclusion
Over the course of the four full days, participants engaged with each of the overarching themes of the project: climate action, sustainable transport, social inclusion and intergenerational collaborations. ICC hopes that the activities undertaken will spur both students and adults to explore and act on these topics in greater depth over the coming years.
Another benefit was, of course, in forging stronger bonds and friendships between all of the project partners. It was a pleasure for ICC to host and to reconnect with our friends from Spain, Portugal, Poland, Waterford and beyond! We are already looking forward to travelling to Estella in Navarra in 2025 for the final Learning / Teaching / Training trip.
Irish Cycling Campaign wishes to thank our volunteers for their help with organising multiple aspects of the planning and execution of the programme – and particularly all of our marshals assisting on the group cycle on the Saturday. Thanks also to Dublin Cycling Campaigner Miren-Maialen Samper, who herself is from San Sebastian Donostia, who popped along over the course of the few days to welcome the crew in several languages.
Finally, we wish to pay a sincere thanks again to the Lord Mayor of Dublin, James Geoghegan, for his warm welcome to the Mansion House, and indeed to Dublin City Council’s staff for their support with many elements of the trip.
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Note
A summary video on the whole trip assembled by Biclistas de Corella can be viewed here:
It was almost 12 months to the day since Irish Cycling Campaign (then known as Cyclist.ie) held its last in-person Gathering, so there were many smiling faces and warm reunions at our 2024 event hosted in The Tailors’ Hall on Saturday (21st Sept).
We were especially delighted to have members travelling from Cork, Limerick, Galway, Clare and Donegal and many other spots to attend the event. Some delegates have been active in Irish Cycling Campaign from the very beginning, while for others it was their very first meeting with campaigners from other counties. And in amongst the delegates were several of our Board Members, Executive Committee Members, and lead activists from our Local Groups and Action Groups.
Mairéad Forsythe (Chairperson of Irish Cycling Campaign) welcoming the delegates, with Damien Ó Tuama (National Cycling Coordinator with Irish Cycling Campaign and An Taisce) in the background. Photo by Henry Simpson
For Irish Cycling Campaign, it was a fruitful, positive and energising meeting – just what we needed ahead of General Election 2024 (or will it be 2025?) for which we are working hard to put active travel and safer roads firmly on the political agenda. We spent the morning session teasing out our Election Asks, and received some excellent feedback on our draft list.
After lunch, with Cornucopia providing some top notch food for our delegates, we explored topics such as Developments on the New Structures of ICC, How to Get Members More Involved, and How to Expand ICC’s Membership. We also had a chance to review three of the concept designs for the new logo for the organisation which generated no shortage of inputs and debate. And on that, watch this space for news over the coming period.
Neasa Bheilbigh, Chairperson of ICC’s Executive Committee, leading the session on Membership and Volunteering. Photo by Henry Simpson
The day finished by looking ahead to our calendar of events, including the hosting of the partner organisations of the Erasmus+ project ICC is participating in (as per this recent web story – https://cyclist.ie/2024/09/irish-cycling-campaign-hosting-erasmus-visitors-in-october-2024/) – as well as reflecting on what was a busy and enjoyable day’s work. The conversions continued into the night as we retired to a local hostelry – and they were picked up again on Sunday morning at Car Free Day on Custom House Quay.
The day was made possible by the organising work of ICC’s Executive Committee, and the Gathering was brought to life by the myriad of insightful contributions by delegates over the full day! ICC sincerely thanks our members for attending, and we also thank Photographer Henry Simpson for taking time out of his own schedule to drop in and take some snaps of our event. For those who attended, we will be back in touch soon with some summary notes from the day and will be informing the wider membership of all of the news in due course.
We are already planning our next Gathering, which – all going well – will happen west of (or very near) the Shannon in Spring 2025!
ICC members midway through the day! Photo – Henry Simpson
Note: (1) The report on our 2023 Gathering, which doubled up as the 30th Birthday of Dublin Cycling Campaign, can be read here https://cyclist.ie/2023/10/cyclist-ie-gathering-and-dcc-30th-birthday-weekend/. (2) Thanks also to Jessica and Stephen from The Right Catering Company for help with the room set-up, and for providing teas/coffees for the delegates.
In this article, Irish Cycling Campaign’s Infrastructure Coordinator, Colm Ryder, considers if ICC’s planning submissions are making a difference – and, if yes, in what way?
The Irish Cycling Campaign (formerly Cyclist.ie) has been making submissions to Planning Authorities and Government Bodies, on public consultations, for at least the past 15 years. This work is part of our broader efforts to improve conditions for active travel by engaging constructively through the planning system.
We ask here: do these submissions help to make a difference in how designers and planners view active travel provision? Our view is that they can certainly help to make alterations to proposed projects, as we also know from discussions and feedback with different local Councils, and from the issued “Part 8” Final Reports (i.e. Part 8 of the of Planning and Development Regulations 2001 (as amended)). But also we know that certain Local Authorities do sometimes ignore our comments, particularly if they are critical of the relevant Local Authority and its policies.
So, we continue to make submissions on schemes and policies right across the country – when, that is, we actually get to know if consultations are happening! Unfortunately this has not always been the case, as public consultations are difficult to track, and up to now there has been no standard website or tracker mechanism, which keeps on top of consultations published. There are also the cases where Local Authorities post consultations online, but do not encourage submissions (e.g. by not providing an email address to facilitate this), with the result that some schemes can have very few, or even zero, submissions. This is an unhealthy indication of the democracy of our planning system.
But, recently, the Local Government Management Agency has been trialling a national planning system, where many Local Authorities post their consultations and general planning information. The consultations at present are confined to Part 8 consultations, but we would hope that all public consultation processes, including Section 38 processes, will soon come under the umbrella of this overarching website. This will make it easier for Joe/Mary Citizen to access and find out what is happening both nationwide and in their own area. In the case of the Irish Cycling Campaign, we are of course interested in any proposed active travel schemes countrywide, and not just where our local groups are active!
In the first six months of 2024 alone, we have centrally made over 40 submissions to 18 Local Authorities and to four government agencies/departments. This does not include the many submissions made locally, directly from our network of local groups, on local schemes of interest. The vast majority of the schemes we have submitted on are specific proposed active travel improvement schemes in our towns and cities. But an increasing number of rural Local Authorities are working to develop greenways, to encourage mainly local leisure use, but also to attract tourism. Some of these proposed greenways will in the long term link into the developing National Cycle Network (NCN).
We, in the Irish Cycling Campaign will continue to advocate for cyclists and pedestrians, in order to make our streets safer and more liveable. It is important that we continue to make our voice heard through multiple channels, including through these formal planning consultation processes. Through these channels we can help to ensure that planning bodies and local authorities develop acceptable policies, and implement high quality active travel schemes in line with the the Cycle Design Manual, Design Manual for Urban Roads and Streets, and Rural Cycleway Design documents.
If you have any interest in supporting this work, or in making your own planning consultation submissions, why not contact us at [email protected]?
You can also support our vital work by making a donation, which will help to cover the administrative expenses of making submissions. Visit cyclist.ie/donate to contribute today.
Note – the featured image above was taken in June 2024 at Utrecht’s multi-story cycle parking facility by Irish Cycling Campaign’s reps en route to the Velo-city conference in Ghent.
