Outdoor Recreation Funding in Waterford

Green Party T.D. for Waterford, Marc Ó Cathasaigh has welcomed €100,000 for preparatory work to bring two large scale outdoor recreation projects in Waterford to a shovel-ready stage

The investment is part of a €2.3 million funding announcement under the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme (ORIS) which will be key to enhancing outdoor amenities such as walkways, cycleways, rivers, lakes and beaches.

Welcoming the news, Dep. Marc Ó Cathasaigh said that: ‘We’re blessed in Waterford with an embarrassment of riches in terms of our outdoor offering – from the coast to the mountains to our rivers, and a top-quality Greenway in between. This finding will help to develop that offering both in ths Comeraghs and along the River Blackwater to serve both the local community and visitors to our county.’

‘We have seen during Covid the strong appetite for a new kind of tourism – slower, more active, more outdoors. It’s about spending time in a place, enjoying the natural beauty of an area. In Waterford, we have an offering second to none, and this offerinf will help develop access even further.’

In Waterford, the two projects are Comeragh Mountains plans for the development and management of high-quality Outdoor Recreation Opportunities in the Comeragh Mountains, and for the Blackwater River Valley Outdoor Recreation for the design of improved river access points to facilitate water-based activities at Ballyduff Upper, Tallow (R. Bride) and Lismore (R. Owenashad) in Blackwater River Valley.

The projects, when ultimately delivered, will also provide a major boost to local economies by attracting visitors and furthering our reputation as a destination for adventure tourism.

These projects are to receive funding of up to €50,000 to bring them to a shovel-ready stage. Once at a shovel ready stage, they will be in a position to secure further funding through the other measures of the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme.