Running Around Ireland: A 1,400-Mile Journey of Body and Soul
Running around Ireland was never about speed or records. It was about using running as a way to travel — to move slowly enough to absorb the land, the weather and the people. Covering the entire island on foot offered a deeper connection than any traditional journey could.
At 50, the idea felt like a personal pilgrimage: a way to explore family roots while testing physical and emotional limits.
Why This Journey Changes How You Travel
Unlike driving or cycling, running around Ireland places you directly inside the landscape. You feel every hill, every shift in wind, every change in light. Roads become intimate. Villages unfold gradually. Conversations begin naturally.
This style of travel strips life back to essentials: movement, nourishment, rest and human connection.
The Route: A Full Loop of the Island
The journey formed a continuous circle — beginning and ending in Dublin. Running around Ireland meant passing through mountains, farmland, coastal roads and quiet towns:
- Wicklow’s rolling uplands
- Cork’s southern peninsulas
- The Wild Atlantic coastline
- Galway and Donegal
- Northern Ireland’s rugged north
- A final return to the capital
In total, the distance reached roughly 1,400 miles, spread over nearly ten weeks.
Solitude and Community on the Road
Many days were spent alone, accompanied only by cows watching from hedgerows and the sound of breath meeting tarmac. Other days brought unexpected company — locals stepping out to run a few miles, share stories or offer encouragement. https://www.theguardian.com/travel/ireland
These shared miles often felt effortless, carried by conversation rather than effort.
Hospitality That Defines the Experience
One of the most memorable aspects of running around Ireland was the generosity encountered daily. Doors opened easily. Help arrived without question. Pubs, homes and workshops became places of rest, repair and warmth.
The experience reinforced a powerful truth: endurance is rarely a solo achievement.
Landscapes That Shape the Inner Journey
Mountains, peninsulas, beaches and forests provided more than scenery. They shaped the emotional rhythm of running around Ireland — hard days followed by moments of clarity and joy.
Long coastal stretches, holy mountains and hidden trails created space for reflection. Moving forward, even in discomfort, became its own form of meditation.
Reaching the Finish — and What Remained
The final miles of running around Ireland were shared with runners from across the country, voices raised in song along the river. The journey ended where it began, but the person finishing was not the same as the one who had started.
What remained was gratitude — for a body capable of movement, for strangers who became companions, and for a country that welcomed every step.
