The national forest management agency, Coillte, are pushing ahead with plans to develop a two-mile family cycle track in Killykeen.

It is hoped the project will make more parts of the park accessible to the public.

Funded by INTEREG Peace III funding, a tender has already been issued for the work seeking "suitably qualified candidates for the construction of a family cycle trail and car park at Killykeen forest park".

"The trail will be 2.5 kilometres in length and the car-park will be approx 400sq metres. The successful candidate will be expected to supply gravel as part of the contract. A certain amount of drainage work will also be required and any culverts or drainage pipes required must be supplied by the successful candidate", the tender description reads.

Speaking with The Anglo-Celt, District Manager for the Cavan area, PJ Fitzpatrick explained the project was part of the latest development to open up further sections of the forest park to the public, and he hoped the move to further entice people back to Killykeen. Located on the Cavan Town side of the park, the cycle route, it is expected, will take in an existing forestry road, previously only opened to machinery, and will include viewing sites and amenity areas along the way.

"It will be away from traffic and opened only to the public, except when we need to access it," said Mr Fitzpatrick. "We have plans so that there will be an opening overlooking the lough and castle and there are more plans to, hopefully, take in the crannogs along that route also, but we have to wait and see. "It adds value to the park in terms of amenities and we'd like to see more and more families using the park and its facilities for recreational use," he said.