Greenway groups seem to be on the extreme edges of Irish society at the moment making a lot of noise for a minority group but Irish Rails numbers on the Limerick Galway route make for interesting reading in this article, https://www.limerickpost.ie/2019/04/13/limerick-to-galway-railway-journeys-continue-to-grow/.
It is on course to carry 420,000 passengers this year making it Irish Rails fastest growing route!!! Remember the constant doom and gloom about what a failure this line would be , a white elephant etc... With the rising need to reduce our carbon footprint and Galway's chronic traffic problems despite the new motorway to Limerick,I would be confident enough of Athenry to Claremorris being reopened!!
I often hear the population density argument (it has been disproved for Limerick to Galway route) but with Tuam and connections to Wesport and Ballina there is plenty people for a viable railway!! The greenway lads & ladies would be much better putting their efforts into a full Galway to Clifden cycleway or Killorgin to Caherciveen or Tralee to Fenit than Athnery to Tuam!!