New footpath to link Seskinore Forest and village

THE Department for Infrastructure (DfI) recently commenced construction of a footpath to link Seskinore Forest to the village itself, much to the delight of local people.

According to Seskinore Rural Community Group this ‘much needed infrastructure improvement’ will greatly benefit the residents, local voluntary groups and particularly pupils and staff of the McClintock Primary School.

This upgrade – titled the Moylagh Road Footway – comes as part of a wider set of infrastructure improvements announced last month by DfI to take place across Fermanagh and Omagh District.

The new footpath will run alongside the existing Moylagh Road connecting the village with the forest at the Old McClintock Estate entrance marked by the white gates. The scheme involves increased safety improvements to the existing road including removing the sharp bend. The local McClintock Primary School and Seskinore Rural Community Group have been lobbying with DfI active travel department for many years to advance this important programme of works.

Chairperson of Seskinore Rural Community Group Jonny Clements said, “The stretch of road that is being upgraded with a footpath is particularly popular for walkers as it provides the shortest route between the village and the forest.

“Until now this section has presented a hazard to pedestrians, including families with young children, as it is busy with traffic and includes a blind bend as the road enters the village. We are also delighted that the primary school, who are regular users of the forest for their outdoor education programme, will now have a safe walking route.

“We are very fortunate in Seskinore to have access to such a wonderful natural asset that is steeped in local history. The new footpath will make the forest more accessible for the whole community to enjoy.”

McClintock Primary School has been taking pupils to the forest for many years. The school runs various outdoor education programmes during the term and benefits greatly from having the forest in close proximity.

School principal Sam Dennison added, “The footpath will make our regular outdoor classroom journeys much safer and less hazardous. The forest is an important part of our outdoor education and once the footpath is completed we can access the forest more readily.’

Next up Seskinore Rural Community Group will be hosting a Community Christmas Singalong in Seskinore Village on Sunday, December 22 at 5pm. This is open to everyone in the community with hot refreshments and mince pies served during the event.