Page "Long-distance trails in the Republic of Ireland" Paragraph 5

Each of the trails to have been developed makes use existing paths, tracks, forest roads, boreens and by-roads but, in the absence of any compulsory powers to include any of these, provision of and access to any such routes is achieved by agreement with local authorities and landowners.

Agreement with private landowners has not always been forthcoming.

Most of the routes, therefore, are highly dependent on access provided by the state: Coillte, the state-owned forestry company, is the largest single manager of any of the trails with more than 30 National Waymarked Trails making use of its property.

Coillte provides and maintains 52 % of all off-road walking trails and 24 % of the total amount of developed walking trails in Ireland.

Access issues mean that many trails have substantial sections on public roads.

Writing in The Irish Times, John G. O ' Dwyer summed up the situation as follows: " Trails often tiptoed timidly through the countryside, offering extended stretches of boringly unsafe road topped with boot burning bitumen.

These were frequently interspersed with gloomy trails through invading armies of monoculture, including stands of Sitka spruce that were generally as memorable as a motorway median ".

Trail erosion has also been an issue with some of the more popular routes.