New Millstreet Walkway Links Drishane Castle to Coole in Community Project Success

A new 830-metre pedestrian walkway connecting Drishane Castle to Coole has officially opened in Millstreet, delivering safer walking routes and enhancing one of the town's most popular looped trails. The project, championed by Millstreet Tidy Towns and funded through a community recognition scheme, was formally opened on Friday.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony on 10th October saw Cllr Martin Coughlan, deputising for the Mayor of County Cork, join Dara Calleary TD, Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, and Moira Murrell, Chief Executive of Cork County Council, to mark the completion of works that began with a simple community proposal.

Millstreet Tidy Towns approached the landowner to seek planning permission before securing €120,000 in grant funding under the Community Recognition Fund. Cork County Council matched the grant, bringing total investment to €240,000. The scheme was established to support communities that welcomed significant numbers of Ukrainian arrivals, with Millstreet hosting over 300 people at the time of the application.

The construction, completed by Finucane & Sons Civil Engineering Ltd, delivered 830 metres of new footpath alongside the replacement of 60 metres of existing tarmac path. Solar-powered street lighting now illuminates the route, which forms part of a looped walk connecting to the Boeing Amenity Area and Millstreet Train Station.

Cllr Martin Coughlan said:

"This collaborative community project has proved to be a huge success for the town of Millstreet. I would like to thank Millstreet Tidy Towns for all their work. It provides a great social outlet for locals to meet and go for a walk and to enjoy the wonderful scenery of Clara Mountain in the background. This project has provided huge benefits for the area to include increases in wellbeing, community spirit and integration. It is being widely used and has received hugely positive feedback locally."

Dara Calleary TD said: "

I am delighted to officially open this walkway today. The Community Recognition Fund was first introduced in 2023 to recognise the huge efforts made by communities in welcoming and supporting people coming to Ireland. To date €100 million has been provided to cities, towns and villages nationwide who have hosted new arrivals and Cork County Council were allocated funding of over €4.3 million under this fund. This project is a demonstration of how vital such funding can be for a town and I want to congratulate everyone who brought it to fruition and I look forward to working with Cork County Council on future projects."

Moira Murrell, Chief Executive of Cork County Council, added:

"This project originated from a need identified in the community for this walkway. The area is a particularly popular walking route and is part of the looped walk which links in with the Boeing Amenity Area, together with Millstreet Train Station. Not only does it provide a safe connection to Drishane Castle and Coole, it also provides a visually attractive entry into Millstreet town."

The walkway has already received positive feedback from locals who use the route for exercise and socialising, with the backdrop of Clara Mountain adding to the scenic appeal.