Minister Humphreys opens rural projects in Cavan
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Six rural development projects across County Cavan were officially launched today by the Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys, as part of her nationwide tour to promote the Government’s ambitious ‘Our Rural Future’ plan.
Minister Humphreys visited projects in Kingscourt, Virginia, Ballyjamesduff, Ballinagh, Cavan Town and Killykeen during her visit, and hailed the efforts of both council staff and local communities in delivering high-quality projects, which will enhance the quality of life for rural communities and visitors to the county.
The first stop on the Minister’s visit was Kingscourt, where newly elected Cathaoirleach of Cavan County Council, Councillor Clifford Kelly, welcomed Minister Humphreys to officially open the Dun an Rí Forest Park Recreational Trail.
It was funded through the Department of Rural and Community Development’s Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme to the tune of €180,411 with match funding of €36,082 provided by Cavan County Council. This project saw the development of just under 1km of new trail and the upgrading of 850 metres of existing trail to link the historic town of Kingscourt with one of Cavan’s main outdoor recreation assets, the beautiful Dún an Rí Forest Park.
The Minister also visited Virginia Lake Shore Amenity, which received support under the Department of Rural and Community Development’s Town and Village Renewal Scheme for three different phases, in 2016, 2018, and 2020, receiving a total of €218,612 to date, with match funding of €55,730 provided by the local authority.
Minister Humphreys also stopped by Main Street, Virginia, to oversee progress on the transformational new Virginia Civic, Cultural and Library Centre, which is set to be completed in 2022. The project received €3.9million in funding under the Rural Regeneration Development Fund (RRDF), with a further €1.3 million to be provided by Cavan County Council.
The next port of call for the Minister was the recently renovated Ballyjamesduff Courthouse, which has received funding under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme, LEADER, the Built Heritage Investment Scheme, in addition to investment by Cavan County Council. Ballyjamesduff Town is also the subject of a broader regeneration plan, which has been supported by the Rural Regeneration Development Fund.
The Minister also opened a landscaped riverside recreational amenity in Ballinagh Town before continuing to Town Hall, Cavan Town, to view the purpose-built facilities at the newly refurbished venue and arts space, which is now “open for business” and planning a busy programme of events for the remainder of 2021.
While in Cavan Town, the Minister officially opened the hugely popular new Cavan Town Greenway, which received €200,000 in funding through the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme in addition to investment of €57,466 by Cavan County Council and has already become a mainstay for families and visitors to Cavan alike.
The Minister’s visit concluded with a visit to Cavan’s iconic Killykeen Forest Park, where she officially opened the ‘Killykeen Way’, a greenway-standard 12km walking and cycling trail, which links the Coillte-managed forest park with the town of Killeshandra.
Speaking at the Cavan Town Greenway, Minister Humphreys commented: “Projects like this and the Killykeen Way Greenway further supplement our already superb tourism offering in this region and provide facilities that communities can also use and enjoy safely.
“Adventure tourism is a growing segment in the overall market and facilities such as greenways, combined with Cavan’s unrivalled reputation as the land of lakes and the investment we are providing in lake and river amenities, provide an excellent platform to help rebuild our tourism industry in this region as we begin to move past the pandemic."
She pledged to continue to strive within Government for greater ambition in terms of continued investment in rural Ireland.
Cathaoirleach of Cavan County Council, Cllr Clifford Kelly welcomed Minister Humphreys back to Cavan to survey the great progress made by Cavan County Council in collaboration with local communities thanks to the support provided by the Department of Rural Development.
“I am pleased that the Government is committed, through its ‘Our Rural Future’ plan, to continuing to support rural Ireland, and I look forward to welcoming the Minister back to open further amenities in the near future,” said the Cathaoirleach.
Chief Executive of Cavan County Council, Tommy Ryan, hailed the collaborative approach that has facilitated the successful delivery of so many vital community amenities throughout the county.
“The support of Minister Humphreys and her officials, local communities, our elected members, and the dedication of our own staff have been key in delivering these projects, underpinned by the strategic framework provided by strategic documents such as our Town and Village Revitalisation Plans, our Walking and Cycling Strategy and Cavan’s Local Economic and Community Plan,” said Mr Ryan.
“The Government’s new ‘Our Rural Future’ plan will further aid the strategic regeneration of our rural communities, and I look forward to working with Minister Humphreys and her Department, our elected members, and our engaged and energised communities to build on our many successes to date,” he added.