New Kildare heritage trail moves forward
The round tower, the remaining part of the original monastic settlement believed to have been founded by or at the instruction of St Patrick.
Plans for a proposed Old Kilcullen Heritage Trail are revealed in a feasibility study carried out by Kildare County Council. They provide for enhancements of existing stone walls and hedges, the implementation of the first 'quiet road' in County Kildare and the first in rural Ireland, the reopening of an abandoned road as a pedestrian walkway, and the provision of signage and QR codes to provide information about the heritage and biodiversity of the landscape.
The study is now on view for submissions under a Part 8 process, at Kilcullen Community Library and Kildare County Council's offices. It will be available until Friday, 7 November, and can be accessed online at consult.kildarecoco.ie.
The Heritage Trail project has been led by the Old Kilcullen Area Community Association since 2020. At the end of 2021, OKACA received a feasibility and design grant of €45,000 from the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Fund administered by the Department of Rural & Community Development, following an application through KCC.
The council commissioned Athy-based Hayes Ryan Landscape Architects to prepare a study for a proposed trail, which would have viewing points to the ancient medieval Royal Site of Knockaulin (Dun Ailinne), The Curragh, The Hill of Allen, The Dublin and Wicklow Mountains and Mount Leinster, as well as links to the historic features within the area of Old Kilcullen. The plan also provided for the potential to extend links along back roads to Yellow Bog and The Curragh.
An initial presentation of a preliminary study in March 2023, hosted by the KCC Parks Department in Halverstown School, attracted a strong level of interest. The local authority has since finalised the study and is a core part of the Part 8 process.
It is envisaged that the project's first phase will provide the trail facility from the 1798 monument at the junction with the R448, up past the remains of the monastic site and on down to Halverstown Cross at the far side of the hill. The former Hacklow Road, long abandoned and closed at the Old Kilcullen side, will be reopened as a pedestrian-cycle track. This phase is estimated to provide 5-6 km of safe walking for people visiting the area. The 'quiet road' system will use passive speed limiting initiatives and managed verges to promote safe driving habits.
A number of proposals for maintaining and improving the local biodiversity are included in the study, which also says that the proposed scheme, as well as being feasible, will be a great example of the potential of other similar areas around the county and within the country generally.
Kildare County Council says the proposal has been screened under Planning and Development and environmental legislation and has been judged not to affect European sites or the local environment significantly.
Any person may seek a screening determination from An Coimisiún Pleanála on the proposal within four weeks of the plan's publication.
