Ten new trails have been added to the Walks Scheme operated by the Department of Rural and Community Development in Ireland. This will see the Walks Scheme doubling in size to 80 trails when all phases of the expansion are complete.
The Walks Scheme currently includes 39 trails, involving 1,962 participant landowners and farmers. The trails are in counties Clare, Galway, Kilkenny, Laois, Leitrim, Tipperary, Sligo, and Wicklow.
Last year alone, almost 2.7 million overseas visitors engaged in some form of cross-country walking or hiking. In addition, one in four of us included walking or hiking as part of our domestic holidays last year.
In announcing the expansion of the scheme, Minister Michael Ring said: “This expansion reflects the success of the Walks Scheme to date in delivering high-quality walking trails, and will help realise the Government’s commitment to double the number of trails in the scheme over time. Up to 40 new trails will be added when all phases of the expansion are complete.”
The expansion of the scheme follows a call for Expressions of Interest earlier this year when more than 50 applications were received. Up to 30 more walks will be added to the scheme over the next year. This will happen after the Department completes a review of the Scheme. And further trails will be assessed to ensure they meet the standards of the scheme.
