All going well should be moving to Maynooth later this year and I read in the following article ( [€30.85m extension to Royal Canal Greenway under way (rte.ie)](https://www.rte.ie/news/2023/0215/1356782-royal-canal-greenway/) ) that phase 3 of improving the greenway into the city centre should join Maynooth to Spencer Dock in the city centre. I’ve cycled this path from Ashtown to City Centre and it’s OK in terms of quality, couple of rough patches but overall very handy to have.

My question is to anyone closer to the Maynooth side of it – is it something you already use to get into Dublin? And if so how do you find it? Will be taking the bike out this weekend or next to get a lay of the land but wanted to see if anyone had any insights! Cheers

Edit : spelling

8 comments

  1. The path from the Leixlip side of Maynooth towards Dublin is not laid down fully yet and it’s a tow path. You’d ideally need a mountain bike in those areas of the path.

    I hope you have somewhere secured in Maynooth. Property is rare.

  2. I’ve walked Maynooth harbour to Pike Bridge a bit, it’s narrow and the surface isn’t great. It’s a few years since I’ve gone further, and it was very bad as you got close to Leixlip, but maybe that section has improved in the meantime.

  3. I ran it once, it is rough from Leixlip to Maynooth. More of a trodden path than a man made path. Okay for a run, and possibly a mountain bike. But doubt you could commute via bike that way until after the work has been completed.

  4. It will be a fantastic resource once completed but no idea how long that will take. As things stand the best route from maynooth to city centre would be the road just north of the Greenway to leixlip and head for fort Lucan. That would bring you on to strawberry beds and into phoenix park.

    Probably alot less pleasant on a Monday morning than the Sundays I’d usually be out there (and the speedbumps on strawberry beds are a killer) but it’s not a bad stretch of road along the river

    Edit: got my directions wrong

  5. Castleknock to coolmine is un-cyclable the last time I walked it. This is the part that is sunk. I think a flyover/pathway was proposed but it overlooking residents so its not popular.

  6. I’ve cycled it a couple of times, currently some of it is proper path, some is towpath and some is [wild deathtrap](https://royalcanalrunner.com/tag/deep-sinking/) which can be fun if you MTB it.

    Once the Greenway is complete, it will be a safe, 24km path from Maynooth to Dublin city that would be a great exercise cycle, or a pleasant eBike commute. And these rides wouldn’t need to be done every day, you can alternate it with the train.

  7. Keep your head down and speed up when going through cabra. Also, best to have puncture proof tires as there are a lot black spots where the track is covered with glass, syringes and other rubble .

  8. One option is to get the train to Castleknock and cycle from there! Coolmine to Castleknock is just walkable only or on an MTB – very rough. Coolmine to Clonsilla is fine. Clonsilla to Leixlip is mostly grass/mud/track. I cycle to Docklands from Clonsilla but I only get on the canal at the 12th Lock. Decent tyres are a must. And watch out for the bloody swans!

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