Why Are Public Walkways Scarce

ONLY ONE OF THE SEVEN towns where I have lived in Ireland has a well-signed and friendly public walkway system. That was Greystone's Cliff Walk and I think it was a well-marked since much of it was hazardously eroded. Nonetheless, I really enjoyed my circuit from Greystones to Bray and back, even at night. In Germany, there were public wanderwegs everywhere and you could earn badges for wandering along them. I got wrapped in faces of cobwebs while on wanderwegs in the morning. In small English towns, I've spotted more “public footpath” signs than bus stops. But in Ireland, there's a constant friction between farmers and housing developers when citizens ask about keeping a line open for school children on their bikes, toddlers in their strollers or culture vultures who visit the Irish landscape. For the summer months, I'm taking on the Cashel Town Council where I live, challenging them to provide at least two toddler-friendly walking circuits that meander around local landmarks. If I don't get the co-operation of local planners, I will cast a Rain Hex over the Rock of Cashel for the month of August. Not having this civic amenity is one reason why Irish teens are leaning into obesity.

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