Friends of the Trail is a recently constituted group of residents from Belgooly, Kinsale and Riverstick seeking to improve connectivity between the three residential areas.
At the heart of the group’s aims is a desire to connect communities while respecting the land. Friends of the Trail wants to demonstrate to Cork County Council the level of local support across Belgooly, Kinsale and Riverstick for a safe, accessible connection trail that benefits all three communities, while ensuring that the concerns of residents, homeowners and landowners are fully heard and respected.
JJ Hurley, a local journalist and Chairperson of Kinsale Cultural and Heritage Society, who is a member of the group, is adamant that this is not about cheerleading any project to link the town and villages.
“Look, we are here to increase connectivity between the villages. All we are trying to do is see what people want and take those findings to Cork County Council,” he said.
“There have been enough problems with a failure by those in authority to engage properly and in a timely fashion, leaving homeowners and landowners feeling threatened.”
For the group, it is not about railroading a project through.
“I don’t think it’s right to say no, but I can understand why people might feel that way. Everything has a compromise, whatever that may be,” JJ said.
“With 160,000 electric bikes set to be sold in Ireland by 2029, we need to ensure that our roads are safe for all road users.
“Longer-lasting batteries will improve the range of bikes, and we need to be ready for it.
“Of the 143 people killed on Irish roads in 2026, 12 have been pedal cyclists.”
Reflecting on how connectivity has improved, JJ points to a significant improvement in local bus services.
“Remember when Kinsale, Belgooly and Riverstick were lucky to see three bus services a day? God help you if you missed the 6pm bus from Cork; you had to depend on ‘Shanks’s mare’,” he said.
“Now we have buses every half an hour, with well-maintained bus shelters, not to mention the fabulous makeovers in Belgooly and Riverstick that have made it safer for residents and increased footfall.”
“But we can still improve. I mean, we have a safe route to school for the children from Belgooly to the local national school, but the children in Riverstick haven’t been afforded the same opportunity.
“Is it fair that residents in Riverstick can avail of Ballymartle Woods and people in Belgooly can access their walkway, but neither can avail of the other’s outdoor amenity?”
Regarding those landowners and homeowners who may be affected by potential changes, JJ suggests that any improvements cannot come at their expense.
“As a historian, I am well aware of the emotive nature of land, not to mention mortgages and how hard people work to put a roof over their heads, only to be simply ignored,” he said.
“Friends of the Trail are here to engage with all stakeholders and examine ways in which we can get to know our neighbours better. We want to take those learnings to the appropriate authorities so they can explore how best to turn those wishes into actions that benefit the entire community.”
If you would like to engage with the group, you can email them at [email protected], follow them on TikTok at @kbrtrail, link on Instagram kbr.trail  or visit Kinsale Better Connect on Facebook.