The formation between kilrush and kilkea is all there (in fact there is 2 former trackbeds running between the two towns, but that’s a whole other story)
The most successful greenway in the country (Waterford) and a host of other less successful ones have been built on tracked. Waterford is great, Mullingar to athlone could arguably be re-opened, new Ross is stuck in funding issues, kings court seems to have done ok. Youghal is probobly the worst greenway in this country when you consider potential!
however, insisting on using lines closed in the pre 1960s is where the issues lie. In 2012 a West Cork Greenway feasibility study was done by CCC for 100’000 (it would be millions now) and I remember they called to my dad and said “some places, the railway is perfectly preserved, in others it’s like it never existed” and that’s where you run into problems. Agriculture has come a long way since and farmers hate the prospect of there farms being split in two by a public highway essentially.
what’s worse about the current plans for the greenway is they now want to use virgin land which goes through hilly terrain, which arguably defeats the purpose of a greenway (that by which using railway grades to make cycling long distances viable)
you also have overextension on the greenway part. I understand there is a landowner in new Ross holding up that whole greenway. South Kerry and west cork is incredibly political. A few years ago, lines like the Tuam line, south Wexford ect. We’re all under pressure to become a greenway, the WRC north of Claremorris is still under pressure in this regard. Youghal still stands as a discrace. Even short term thinking was thrown out the window