"Gut Punch" - Drogheda Mayor unhappy as council refuse to take charge of Camino Trail

Mayor of Drogheda, Cllr Michelle Hall has described news that Louth County Council will not take charge of the Boyne Valley Camino National Trail as a "gut punch". 

Mayor Hall put the motion forward at the February Drogheda Borough District meeting, which called for the local authority to take charge of the 25km trail's maintenance, signage and to appoint a liaison officer to deal with volunteer groups.

David Hanratty, Director of Services with Louth County Council said while it recognises the value of the Boyne Valley Camino it does not have the resources to take charge of the trail. 

"At present, there is not dedicated staffing capacity to manage ongoing maintenance, install additional signage, upgrade mapping or provide a liaison officer." 

"While the Council will continue to support the initiative within existing constraints, taking the trail in charge would require additional funding and staffing, which are not currently available," he said. 

Mayor Hall expressed her disappointment at the response and said Louth County Council "should be biting" at the opportunity to take charge of what she called a crucial part of reviving Drogheda. 

She called for the council to be an "equal partner" before confirming that after consultation with Louth County Council's Chief Executive, she was "happy to report" the matter would be going through the local authority's tourism department. 

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Independent councillor Paddy McQuillan expressed his disappointment with the council's response. 

He described the Camino Trail is a "very important part of Drogheda" and said it is one of the town's great success stories, before adding that the council's "answer to everything is because they haven't the money to do it". 

The motion received support from councillors with Independent councillor Kevin Callan and Sinn Féin's Eric O'Donovan calling for increased support for the volunteers involved. 

Cllr O'Donovan said the trail attracts people from "four corners of the country", while Fine Gael's Anne Marie Ford said it brings the town's history to life. 

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.