Climate Community Funding

We are delighted to announce that we have been successful in our application for funding of €2,778 for two projects under the Climate Community Grants programme. The first is the purchase of a wheelchair trailer for pulling by our trishaw. The second is the provision of a number of “Trail-Gators”. A Trail Gator is a towbar which connects a parent’s bike to a child’s and assists the child in keeping up with older siblings and parents.  The Gator will be loaned to a family for a period of months until the child has progressed to cycling on his or her own. The Gator will then be returned to the Campaign for lending to another family. We have asked for expressions of interest from parents in a number of schools. If you are interested or want to find out more, send us an email to maynoothcycling@gmail.com .

Bikeweek

We would like to thank Gaelscoil Uí Fhiaich, Scoil Ruairí, Educate Together and Presentation Girls School which participated in the Bikeweek Art Competition and which currently engage with the Campaign on our parking project. We hope that the winners enjoy the prizes. We would also like to thank Maynooth Post Primary (MPP) for the opportunity to give a talk to TY students about cycling and for participating in the raffle. Maynooth Cycling Campaign is grateful to Kildare County Council for providing funding for Bikeweek events including the cash prizes to MPP.

Maynooth  Tidy Towns

Some months ago, Maynooth Cycling Campaign approached Maynooth Tidy Towns regarding working closer together for our mutual benefit. Sustainability is an important element of the Tidy Towns philosophy and we thought to share the credit for some of our activities in support of cycling such as Bikeweek, engagement with Maynooth primary and secondary schools. We weren’t looking for their support for future submissions on cycling infrastructure. At a recent meeting of the Tidy Towns Committee, it decided not to proceed. While they stated that many of their volunteers are very supportive of our work, the Tidy Towns Committee didn’t feel that  “…it is appropriate to attach the name of Maynooth Tidy Towns to a campaign that may have some dissenters in our group”. Given the opposition to cycling infrastructure on many schemes, having unanimous support for cycling sets a high bar. While Tidy Towns does great work on biodiversity and in improving the appearance of our community, cycling impacts on eleven of the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals. Painting disused bikes in garish colours and decorating them with plants is not recognised as a measure which increases the level of cycling.

Cycling Infrastructure is Health Infrastructure

The HSE recently revealed that in Q1 2026, the health budget was overspent by €250 million. The Irish Doctors for the Environment has stated that the health of Ireland’s population requires a paradigm shift in the Irish transport sector away from private car use and towards more active travel supplemented by public transport. In their words “Active travel initiatives are needed for a healthier population, and a less polluting and more connected Ireland. Active transport done right is health infrastructure”.

Strategic Infrastructure & Bike Infrastructure

The government has passed legislation which allows it to nominate key projects as Strategic Infrastructure and which is designed so that the applicant can apply directly to An Bord Pleanala for planning permission rather than the local authority. It is designed to simplify and speed up the planning process for “key” infrastructure. Maynooth Cycling Campaign supports the call by the Irish Cycling Campaign for cycling infrastructure to be included as strategic infrastructure. In view of the shocks to energy prices as a result of the invasion of Ukraine and the attack on Iran by the USA, there is a critical need to reduce dependence on fossil fuel especially from the Middle East and to develop greater resilience to similar future shocks. Under the government’s Climate Plan, we also need to decarbonise our transport and the Climate Advisory Council has indicated that we are unlikely to meet our international commitment to reduce carbon emissions by 50% by 2030. People need an alternative to vehicles powered with internal combustion engines. In the short term, the government has chosen to subsidise fuel prices but in the long term the solution is to offer an affordable alternative to people.

Rothar Road – Quiet Road in Monaghan

County Monaghan was selected as a pilot for the designation of a quiet rural road to promote cycling by the possible introduction of a 30kph speed limit and traffic-calming measures such as a new red road surface, shared space signage, and flashing speed signs. Unlike the Moone pilot project in Kildare, the proposed Rothar Road in Co. Monaghan actually connects two destinations – the villages of Scotstown and Ballinode. The road runs parallel to a wider road more suited to through traffic, which most motorists are expected to use. This is the first example in Ireland of a road on the model of Dutch “Bicycle Road” where the car is a “guest”. Such roads operate best where bicycle traffic is twice the volume of motorised traffic. With such a high level of car dependency in Ireland and the sharp bends on many rural roads, it will be interesting to see the traffic mix and if people feel safe on such roads.