Waterways, cycle routes, urban walkways and mountain bike routes will form part of a new, safe "world-class" trails network here, it was announced yesterday.
The aim of the new Irish Trails Strategy is to encourage the ordinary person into the outdoors, John Treacy, chief executive of the Irish Sports Council, said in Killarney, Co Kerry.
The new National Trails Office and Irish Trails Advisory Committee will work with the Irish Sports Council to bring together the groups involved with trails.
Short to medium trails in towns, cities and rural areas will be identified as well as links between towns and countryside. There will also be improvements for the 8,300km (5,200 miles) of walks already in place. With a budget of €650,000, the office will have an advisory role for communities and organisations wishing to know how to develop trails and where to access funding.
At present up to 22 different organisations oversee walking trails, and six Government departments are involved. Many developed trails are managed on an ad hoc basis, and greater co-ordination is needed, the ten-year strategy noted.
Ireland does not have a dedicated cycle network. Outside the main cities, there are few cycle ways and no official off-road mountain biking trails. Cyclists on holidays have expressed concerns about road safety here.
The strategy is concerned about an over-reliance on public roads, which can be dangerous and lack satisfactory interaction with the surrounding countryside.
Maps, signage, parking, toilets and litter bins all need improvement, the National Waymarked Way Advisory Committee, a sub committee of the Irish Sports Council, found.
The network will build on some 14 "looped" or circular walks on mountain and coastal areas identified last year by Fáilte Ireland, and the Irish Sports Council, alongside the existing 32 long-distance waymarked ways.
Canal towpaths, biking and canoeing routes as well as bridle ways ( for horse riding) and boat trails are likely to be included in the new "land or water-based" trail network.
Speaking at the launch of the strategy in the Muckross Park Hotel in Killarney National Park, Mr Treacy said research had shown some 13 per cent of walkers in Ireland used designated walking routes. Internationally and where designated routes were available, walking and other activity increased greatly, he noted
"This strategy is all about encouraging more people to become active and involved in outdoor recreation. Successful and sustainable trails should be safe, practical and easy to use, have the necessary signage and supporting infrastructure and should not negatively impact the environment," Mr Treacy said.
Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism John O'Donoghue, who launched the strategy, said there were significant economic benefits to be gained from the promotion and development of recreational trails in Ireland.
"The trails strategy will also have a beneficial impact on our tourism product. Not everyone knows that more overseas visitors come to Ireland to engage in hiking and walking activities, than come to engage in any other activity. More people come here to hike, than come to play golf, to fish, to cycle or for equestrian pursuits.
In 2005, 280,000 overseas visitors engaged in hiking and walking activities. Preliminary estimates for 2006 show a significant increase to over 400,000 engaging in walking and hiking last year.
Walking tourists are particularly attractive in that they stay longer in Ireland than other holidaymakers (11 nights compared to seven) and they are more likely to visit rural areas and offer good regional distribution," Mr O'Donoghue said.