On the next occasion I visited the Royal Canal Greenway in Maynooth, I decided to bike Eastwards this time, going in the direction of Leixlip. It was another beautifully sunny weekend and I had every reason to stay outside as much as I could to enjoy the weather while it lasted.

At first travelling the greenway Eastwards the road was paved and easy to ride, but after a bit the greenway was no longer a paved road but instead in some places a gravel path or a footpath on the ground. Having a mountain bike, it was easy for me to navigate the uneven surface with bumps along the way, but I am sure my road-bike would have struggled on the path.

Regardless of the condition of the path, it was a beautiful day with much more of a quiet location off the beaten track compared with the Westward journey from Maynooth. There were quite a few people fishing, running, walking and biking. I did however find the path gated just before Collinstown unfortunately, where I had to turn around and head back to Maynooth. Unable to turn around and go home again at that point, after reaching Maynooth I carried only going Westward again, same as my previous trip. It was in Maynooth that I saw a sign informing that the Royal Canal Greenway Maynooth Harbour to Pike Bridge was closed to the public for essential upgrade works from the 10th of June 2024 for approximately 22 weeks. Although I got past Pikes Bridge since there was no indication there that it was closed, it was only in Collinstown that I found the path closed.

Next time I continue my journey on the Royal Canal Greenway, I’ll be sure to keep the road closures in mind when plotting my route.