Bord na Móna urged to back ‘dream’ Laois bog project near Portlaoise

Bord na Móna should not lift disused train tracks on its land around Portlaoise but instead get behind plans to develop a bog near the town as a local amenity and tourist attraction.

That was the view of a new campaign backed by Laois County Councillors for the Portlaoise area when the issue was raised at a recent meeting in County Hall.

Cllr Catherine Fitzgerald, Fianna Fáil, tabled a motion calling on the Laois County Council to contact Bord na Móna to retain all the existing narrow gauge railway track associated with the Portlaoise Cúl na Mona works and turn them into a greenway.

Cllr Fitzgerald said she and other councillors had been contacted by residents campaigning to advance the project as a local and national amenity.

“It could become an amenity for future generations with unlimited tourist potential,” said Cllr Fitzgerald.

She said the track runs from near Ballyroan to the Ballyfin area which is now popular given the former peat producing company is no longer using the track.

“A considerable number of locals including people from Portlaoise are now using it as a walkway. I believe we should regularise this before Bord na Móna remove the tracks and all is lost. It is urgent that we contact them before the remove anything.

People are worried something is going to happen,” she said.

Cllr Willie Aird, Fine Gael, was also in favour and praised the residents for forming a group.

“It is a real gem,” he said of the amenity.

He called on the State company to support Portlaoise in the same way as other projects.

“We haven’t benefited to the same tune as other areas from Bord na Móna,” he said.

Cllr Aird described it as a ‘beautiful’ area that should be used for tourism in Laois.
“If you dream the dream out there and have this narrow gauge railway that could take people right through that whole bog it would be absolutely fantastic,” he said. MORE BELOW PICTURE.

He added the project could be linked to the proposal to open a greenway on the old Portlaoise to Abbeyleix line.

Cllr Barry Walsh, Fine Gael, also backed the plan as a “fantastic addition” to town and county. He suggested that the project be funded under the EU Just Transition fund.

Cllr John Joe Fennelly, Fianna Fáil, highlighted the ‘unreal’ success of the Abbeyleix Bog Project which has proved good for business in Abbeyleix.

“The tourist potential for this is phenomenal,” he said.

Cllr Caroline Dwane Stanley, Sinn Féin, said Portlaoise councillors should seek a meeting with the CEO of Bord na Móna to strengthen the case for the project. She also believed that the Just Transition funding could be tapped into.

In reply to the motions, Simon Walton, Director of Services for Portlaoise, said a letter would issue to Bord na Móna. The issue was raised at the March meeting of Portlaoise Municipal District.