The new Government has been urged to unlock the stalemate that has blocked a public walkway near the Army Barracks in Renmore.

Councillor Shane Forde (FG), who represents Galway City East, wants the new Minister for Defence to progress a deal between the Defence Forces and Galway City Council to pave the way for the walkway linking Renmore Road and Liam Mellows GAA Club to re-open.

Negotiations between Defence Forces and City Council over public access to the walkway stalled last year, more than two years after discussions began about completing a public permeability route.

The Council and Officers in the Barracks had held constructive talks since 2022 about the local authority opening-up a walkway on land it owns, linking Renmore Road with Liam Mellows GAA Club.

The walkway site, about 140 metres long, runs alongside the Barracks’ perimeter, and links Mellows’ pitch walkway at Ballyloughane with Renmore Road.

The Council planned to turn it into a permeability route, which could ultimately become the final leg of the Galway to Athlone Greenway and provide a continuous off-road cycleway and walkway linking Oranmore with the city centre.

Senior ranking officials in the Defences Forces locally had co-operated and were approving of the idea, but relations deteriorated last Summer when the Army erected a permanent gated structure, fencing off public access.

That tied the hands of the Council and Councillor Forde has urged the new Defence Minister to prioritise brokering a deal.

“For over two years now this project has been at a standstill, and we need the intervention of the Minister to get the project moving again,” said Cllr Forde.

“This is a crazy situation on land that is owned by the City Council. Army concerns need to be looked at in progressing this project but both sides need to be willing to reach compromise.

“The City Council want this issue resolved and let’s hope we can find working agreements to get it sorted. I will continue to explore every avenue to make this happen,” added Cllr Forde.

Pictured: Cllr Shane Forde, with the gate limiting entry to the walkway at Renmore Barracks in the distance behind him.