BALLYMONEY TO BALLYCASTLE GREENWAY
“Greenway of Thrones”
The Dark Hedges are a famous local attraction – internationally now, due to its inclusion in Game of Thrones – but less well known is the old railway which ran under the road, which could see a greenway bringing tourists to and from Ballymoney and the coastal town of Ballycastle.
ROUTE DETAILS
| Length | 30 kilometres |
| Estimate | £4.4 million |
| Location | 2026 to 2040 |
| Type | Former railway |
| Title | Belfast and Northern Counties Railway (NCC) |
| Border area | No |
| Councils | Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council |
Article: Greenway of Thrones (October 2014)
“The spectacular Dark Hedges near Armoy in County Antrim provided a perfect natural set for the Kingsroad in Game of Thrones. However, here lies a piece of hidden history – a small stone bridge marking the old Ballymoney to Ballycastle railway line, and potential future greenway.
The Game of Thrones tourism link, along with some spectacular natural and human-made points of interest give the Ballymoney to Ballycastle Greenway a great chance of getting off the ground, if local residents, farmers, landowners, community groups and politicians can see the potential.”
IMAGES
PROGRESS UPDATES
Idea stage
Feasibility
Construction
Completed
July 2014: Northern Ireland Assembly question on a potential Ballymoney to Ballycastle Greenway
October 2014: Northern Ireland Greenways publishes article on “The Greenway of Thrones“
June 2016: CCGBC applies to Stage 1 of the DfI Small Grants Programme for Greenways competition
November 2016: CCGBC secures DfI £8,000 grant funding for a feasibility study
August 2017: Ballymoney to Ballycastle Greenway misses cut at DfI Small Grants Programme stage 3
August 2018: £25,000 funding announced for “Ballymoney to Ballycastle greenway” detailed design study
January 2021: Local campaigners launch a petition to “Support a Greenway linking Ballycastle and Ballymoney”
February 2021: North Antrim MLA Philip McGuigan presents the public petition to the Northern Ireland Assembly
RESOURCES ELSEWHERE
Ballycastle Railway (Wikipedia)
The Ballycastle Railway by James I.C.Boyd (Ballycastle History)
Memories of playing on a runaway train (Belfast Newsletter)
Ballycastle Railway (Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council)
Ballycastle Railway Station history and images (Ballycastle.info)
Moyle Way (Causeway Coastal Route)
Exercise Explore Enjoy: A Strategic Plan for Greenways (Department for Infrastructure) PDF 2.8MB
Strategic Plan for Greenways Base Report (AECOM, Sustrans, DfI) PDF 15.7MB
GREENWAY PROJECTS WHICH INTERSECT
COLERAINE TO BALLYMONEY GREENWAY
A 15km route along the current railway, before cutting across the River Bann and following the riverside into Coleraine.
GET INVOLVED
Successful greenway projects are driven by the passion of local people. If you have an update to share, a story to tell about the history of the route or future of the Ballymoney to Ballycastle Greenway, or if you want to submit a picture or video to this page, please get in contact.