Overview
Two of Ireland’s flattest, most family-friendly cycle routes – the Great Western Greenway and the Old Rail Trail – run on the trackbed of a single Victorian company, the Midland Great Western Railway. Incorporated in 1845, the MGWR opened from Dublin as far as Enfield in 1847, reached Mullingar the following year and Galway by 1851, and at its peak ran a 538-mile network of Irish-gauge track from the capital to the Atlantic. The company was folded into the Great Southern Railways in 1924, but the line it laid is still one of the most useful ways to cross the middle of the country – by train where the rails survive, on foot or by bike where they were lifted.
The route today: active lines and greenways
By train Iarnród Éireann still runs the Dublin–Galway and Dublin–Westport services, both out of Dublin Heuston (not Connolly, which serves the Sligo line), and both closely following the original MGWR alignment. Trains cross the Westmeath plains, bridge the Shannon at Athlone, and push west into Mayo and Galway; the Westport service branches off at Claremorris. Dublin to Galway takes about two and a half hours, and it is still the most straightforward way inland from the capital to the coast.
By bike or on foot Where the rails were lifted, the trackbed became traffic-free path. The pick of them – and the one to do if you only do one – is the Great Western Greenway, 42 km from Westport out to Achill along the former Westport–Achill branch. It runs beside Clew Bay and through the village of Mulranny, flat almost the whole way. Further east, the Old Rail Trail covers about 42 km of compact gravel between Athlone and Mullingar (some signs say 43). It is the quieter, plainer of the two – a steady spin through farmland, but it can’t match Clew Bay for a view. Both are well signposted and fine for children and casual cyclists.
Heritage hotels and station houses
The MGWR built hotels on or beside its branches to house the visitors its trains brought west. Three former stations still take guests:
- Clifden Station House Hotel – the old terminus of the Galway–Clifden branch, now a restored Victorian station with rooms, dining and access to the Clifden walking loops.
- Kilmessan Junction Station House Hotel (County Meath) – a converted junction station, a quiet base for the Boyne Valley.
- Mulranny Park Hotel (County Mayo) – in the former Westport–Achill station above Clew Bay, right on the Great Western Greenway.
Preserved rolling stock
A handful of MGWR carriages survive in museums:
- Ulster Folk and Transport Museum (Cultra) – holds carriage No. 47, the private saloon of the great railway contractor William Dargan, restored to its varnish-brown finish.
- Downpatrick and County Down Railway – keeps several MGWR six-wheel carriages (Nos 25, 53 and 62M), with the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland restoring a further one.
Practical tips
- Getting there – Dublin–Galway and Dublin–Westport trains run daily from Dublin Heuston. Book ahead through the Irish Rail site, especially in summer and on the Westport line, which can sell out.
- Greenway access – both greenways are free. Bike hire runs from around €12 a day in Athlone, Mullingar and Westport; on the Mayo route an e-bike is worth the extra.
- Dogs and accessibility – dogs are welcome on both greenways on a lead. The Old Rail Trail is completely flat and fine for wheelchairs and pushchairs; the Great Western has a few gentle gradients near the coastal cuttings.
- Signal – mobile coverage drops in the Mayo cuttings, so download an offline map or bring a printed one.
A rail-and-trail route
The corridor works best over a couple of days. Take the morning train from Dublin to Athlone, hire a bike and ride the Old Rail Trail to Mullingar and back, then catch the westbound service to Westport. Stay the night in Mulranny or Newport, cycle the Great Western Greenway at an easy pace with a coffee stop in Mulranny, and take the evening train back to Dublin from Westport.
Timetables and greenway conditions change with the season, so check the Irish Rail and greenway sites a few days out. On the Mayo coast, take an e-bike if you can – and a waterproof either way.