Best places to run in Ireland

• Aasleagh Falls

  waterfall

  A wide cascade on the Erriff River just north of Leenane where it flows into Killary Harbour, with riverside paths and dramatic mountain backdrop.

• Abbeyleix Bog

  nature reserve

  A community-protected living raised bog with a 3.5km boardwalk and forest paths threading rare peatland habitat, flat and easy underfoot.

• Acres Lake Floating Boardwalk

  greenway

  Ireland's first floating boardwalk, a 600m pontoon walkway over the water that launches the level Shannon Blueway trail toward Battlebridge.

• Adare Town Park

  park

  A riverside town park with looped paths along the River Maigue, a thatched gazebo and an old washing pool, in Ireland's prettiest thatched-cottage village.

• Altamont Gardens

  gardens

  A 100-acre OPW estate with an arboretum, bog garden and river walk, backed by views of Mount Leinster and the Wicklow Mountains.

• Anglesey Mountain

  mountain

  A 421m hill in the northern Cooley range giving a quieter, gentler upland walk away from the busier Slieve Foye routes.

• Annagh Lough

  lake

  A wooded lake within the old Ballyconnell Demesne, reached on the Ballyconnell canal loop that runs along the Woodford River through oak, ash and beech.

• Arderin

  mountain

  At 527m the highest summit of the Slieve Blooms and the county top of Laois, a long boggy windswept climb rewarded with views across the central plain.

• Ardmore Round Tower

  landmark

  A well-preserved 29m medieval round tower beside ruined cathedral and oratory, a striking landmark at the head of the Ardmore cliff walk.

• Ardmulchan Church

  landmark

  A ruined church with a square bell tower set above one of the loveliest bends of the River Boyne between Navan and Slane.

• Ardpatrick

  hill

  A steep climb to an early-medieval monastic hilltop with a round tower stump, ruined church and graveyard, opening onto superb views toward the Galtee peaks.

• Ards Forest Park

  forest

  A varied 1,000-acre forest park with nine signposted trails through woods, salt marsh, dunes and sandy beaches.

• Askeaton Castle

  castle

  A 12th-century castle perched on a rock in the River Deel, a striking landmark beside the riverside walks of this Shannon Estuary town.

• Assaranca Waterfall

  waterfall

  A roadside cascade near Ardara that thunders after rain, on the scenic route to Maghera Beach and caves.

• Aughris Head

  headland

  A family-friendly 4km looped clifftop walk over rugged Atlantic headland with sea cliffs, blowholes and bay views.

• Bahana Wood

  wood

  Riverside oak woodland on the 6km St Mullins loop walk, a peaceful shaded stretch along the Barrow beneath the Blackstairs.

• Baily Lighthouse

  landmark

  A historic working lighthouse on the southern tip of Howth Head that comes into view as a highlight near the steepest section of the cliff walk.

• Ballinamuck

  landmark

  The 1798 rebellion battle site north of Longford town, now a network of waymarked trails across raised bog, quiet lakes and rolling farmland.

• Ballycotton Cliff Walk

  coastal path

  A roughly 7km cliff-top trail from Ballycotton village toward Ballyandreen with sea views and the distinctive black Ballycotton Lighthouse offshore throughout.

• Ballyhourigan Wood

  forest

  Forested loop walks below Keeper Hill on well-graded tracks, used as the woodland approach to the Silvermines summit.

• Ballymastocker Strand

  beach

  A long Blue Flag beach on Lough Swilly once voted among the world's most beautiful, ideal for a flat shoreline run.

• Ballysaggartmore Towers

  wood

  A woodland demesne walk leading to fairytale Gothic gatehouse and bridge follies, a gentle and atmospheric forest stroll.

• Ballyteige Burrow

  nature reserve

  One of the south-east's finest sand-dune systems, an out-and-back along beach, dune or path with constant views across to the Saltee Islands.

• Ballyvoyle Tunnel

  tunnel

  A 400m brick-lined former railway tunnel on the Greenway, atmospheric and cool to run through with original alcoves along its walls.

• Balrath Wood

  forest

  A 50-acre mixed woodland with three colour-coded loops including a perimeter Long Walk, easy and well-surfaced for a quick run among oak and beech.

• Bangor Trail

  trail

  An arduous and ancient 40km route through the remote Nephin Beg range and Owenduff bog, for very experienced and self-reliant hikers only.

• Banna Strand

  beach

  A 10km wild strand backed by 12m sand dunes, ideal for long uninterrupted beach running and big sky views.

• Barley Harbour

  harbour

  A quiet limestone harbour on Lough Ree facing Inchcleraun Island, reached by a peaceful 6km rural lane walk from Newtowncashel.

• Barleycove Beach

  beach

  A remote Blue Flag beach backed by dunes and reached by a floating boardwalk, with long stretches of strand for walking at the tip of the Mizen.

• Barna Woods

  woods

  An ancient broadleaf woodland on the city's western edge with winding paths, spectacular for a quiet spring run when bluebells carpet the floor.

• Barnagh Tunnel

  landmark

  A 115m Victorian railway tunnel on the Limerick Greenway, beside a high viewing point at 164m with sweeping views over the Golden Vale toward Clare, Cork and Kerry.

• Barnavave

  mountain

  A 350m saddle-shaped summit on the Cooley ridge, reached on a sharp but short loop from Carlingford with sweeping coastal views over the lough.

• Barrow Blueway

  trail

  A surfaced waterside greenway along the Grand Canal Barrow Line through quiet canal countryside, smooth and traffic-free for runners and walkers.

• Barrow Way

  waymarked trail

  A long-distance riverside towpath trail following the River Barrow, flat and tranquil on grassy paths past locks, weirs and wooded banks ideal for steady running.

• Baunreaghcong

  peak

  A 509m summit at the end of the Ridge of Capard, a rugged, exposed high point for hill-runners seeking a quieter alternative to Arderin.

• Bay Lough

  lake

  A tranquil dark corrie lake tucked into the Knockmealdowns, perfect for a short atmospheric waterside walk steeped in local witch legend.

• Béal Ború

  landmark

  A beech-covered ancient ringfort linked to Brian Boru at the southern tip of Lough Derg, a short wooded walk by the water.

• Beara Way

  waymarked trail

  A waymarked long-distance trail mixing coastal paths and mountain tracks along the wild Beara Peninsula with constant views over Bantry Bay.

• Bective Abbey

  landmark

  Atmospheric ruins of a 12th-century Cistercian abbey beside the Boyne, a peaceful flat riverside spot to pass on a valley walk.

• Bellavally Gap

  mountain pass

  A scenic upland mountain pass winding beneath Cuilcagh through the wild Glangevlin uplands, remote and dramatic underfoot.

• Benbaun

  mountain

  At 729m the highest of the Twelve Bens, a barren, rocky quartzite summit offering a tough off-trail climb at the heart of Connemara's ranges.

• Benbulben

  mountain

  Sligo's iconic flat-topped table mountain whose dramatic ridges make for a tough, exposed upland walk with panoramic coastal views.

• Benbulben Forest Walk

  trail

  A well-maintained, mostly flat 5.5km forest loop circling the base of Benbulben with constant close-up views of its cliffs and over to Donegal.

• Bencroy

  mountain

  A steep hill on the Sliabh an Iarainn massif linked in a 12km mountain loop, a tough open-upland climb with views over Lough Allen.

• Bennettsbridge

  bridge

  A Georgian stone bridge on a gentle curve of the River Nore in a craft village, the endpoint of the Nore Valley Walk and start of the gentle O'Gorman's Loop.

• Benwee Head

  headland

  Towering 250m cliffs over the Atlantic in one of Mayo's wildest corners, reached on a remote and rugged clifftop loop.

• Benwiskin

  mountain

  A striking wave-shaped peak in the Dartry range offering a steep, rugged climb with superb views over Donegal Bay.

• Bertra Strand

  beach

  A 2.6km sandy spit reaching into Clew Bay at the foot of Croagh Patrick, flat and firm for an easy beach run with mountain views.

• Birr Castle Demesne

  park

  Over 120 acres of parkland with around 10km of trails following the Camcor and Little Brosna rivers past record trees, a lake and Ireland's oldest heronry.

• Black Island

  nature reserve

  A wooded island in Lough Muckno reached by footbridge, giving a gentle 1.5km buggy-friendly loop with lake views throughout.

• Blackrock Promenade

  coastal path

  A flat seafront promenade along Dundalk Bay with cafes, a giant millennium sundial and views to the Cooley Mountains, perfect for an easy seaside jog.

• Blackstairs Mountain

  mountain

  A rugged 732m summit with steep, rocky and often muddy ground that gives one of the toughest and most rewarding hill walks in the county.

• Blarney Castle

  castle

  A 16th-century tower house set in extensive gardens with lake walks, an arboretum and the wooded Rock Close, all walkable around the famous castle.

• Bloody Foreland

  headland

  A granite coastal headland whose rocks glow red in the evening sun, with quiet roads and shoreline to walk.

• Bog of Allen

  bogland

  Ireland's largest raised bog, with the Lullymore biodiversity trail and Lodge Bog boardwalk leading through a living peatland of heather and wildlife.

• Bohernabreena Reservoir

  lake

  Two Victorian water-supply reservoirs in the hidden Glenasmole valley, ringed by a flat and tranquil 9.5km loop between forested slopes.

• Borris Viaduct

  bridge

  A 60ft-high 19th-century railway viaduct on a 3.5km loop walk, with superb views to the Blackstairs Mountains and Mount Leinster.

• Boyle Abbey

  landmark

  One of the most complete early Cistercian abbeys in Connacht, sitting on a riverside self-guided walking trail through Boyle town.

• Boyne Greenway

  greenway

  A 4.5km riverside path with boardwalk sections running along the south bank of the River Boyne from Drogheda town toward the Oldbridge Estate.

• Boyne Ramparts Walk

  trail

  A flat 8km linear riverside towpath following the old Boyne canal, passing Babe's Bridge and Dunmoe Castle with frequent kingfisher and heron sightings.

• Boyne Valley to Lakelands Greenway

  greenway

  A 30km flat off-road trail along a disused railway line from Navan through Wilkinstown and Nobber toward Cavan, perfect for long uninterrupted runs.

• Brackloon Wood

  forest

  One of the west's largest surviving ancient oak woods, a gentle 4km loop through mossy native forest south of Westport.

• Bragan Mountain

  hill

  A boggy upland crossed by the Sliabh Beagh Way and the local Bragan Walk, giving a sense of remote moorland on firm country lanes.

• Brandon Hill

  hill

  A lofty hill rising above the Barrow valley near Graiguenamanagh, with forest loop walks climbing past weirs to open summit views.

• Bray Head

  headland

  A rugged coastal headland with a cliff path and a stiff climb to a summit cross, offering panoramas over Dublin Bay and the Wicklow coast.

• Bridges of Ross

  viewpoint

  A dramatic sea-carved rock arch and blowhole coastline near Loop Head, with a short rugged clifftop walk.

• Bridia Valley

  valley

  A remote glaciated valley on a Kerry Way variant, following an old cattle-droving path through one of Ireland's most isolated pockets.

• Brittas Bay

  beach

  A long Blue Flag beach of golden sand backed by dunes, ideal for a flat soft-sand run or walk along the east coast.

• Brownshill Dolmen

  landmark

  A 5,000-year-old portal tomb whose granite capstone, the largest in Europe at over 100 tonnes, sits in open meadows reached by a short field walk.

• Bruse Hill

  hill

  A compact steep-sided drumlin hill with a short looped walkway whose summit reputedly offers views of nine counties on a clear day.

• Burren National Park

  national_park

  Ireland's smallest national park with seven waymarked trails over limestone pavement, turloughs and hazel scrub.

• Burren Way

  trail

  A roughly 120km waymarked long-distance trail crossing the Burren's limestone uplands, green roads and coast.

• Cahir Castle

  castle

  One of Ireland's best-preserved castles set on a rocky island in the River Suir, the anchor point of the riverside Coronation Walk.

• Cahore Point

  coastal path

  A level 4.8km cliff loop linking a string of sandy beaches, wide and buggy-friendly with open sea views the whole way.

• Calf House Dolmen

  landmark

  An early Neolithic portal tomb that anchors a short easy trail through the Burren's karst, dolines and ancient field walls.

• Camaderry

  mountain

  A 699m mountain above Glendalough's Upper Lake with a gradual grassy climb and valleys falling away on either side.

• Canon Sheehan Loop

  trail

  A 7km loop following the Ogeen River across the Cork-Limerick border, passing a Mass Rock open-air pulpit with fine views.

• Caragh Lake

  lake

  A long scenic lough ringed by loop walks that climb toward Seefin and the Windy Gap with views over Dingle Bay.

• Carbury Castle

  castle

  A ruined Tudor fortified house crowning Carbury Hill, reached by a moderate 2km loop with a steady climb and far-reaching views toward the bogs.

• Carlingford Lough Greenway

  greenway

  A flat, well-paved 6.2km former-railway path hugging the coast between Carlingford and Omeath with views across the lough to the Mournes, ideal for an easy run.

• Carlow Castle

  castle

  The dramatic ruin of a 13th-century riverside castle, a single surviving wall and two towers standing beside the Barrow in the heart of town.

• Carne Beach

  beach

  A blue-flag strand and well-marked flat coastal loop from Carne Pier passing the quiet Nethertown and Churchtown beaches.

• Carrauntoohil

  mountain

  Ireland's highest peak at 1,038m, a serious rugged climb via the Devil's Ladder or the Coomloughra Horseshoe with the country's finest summit views.

• Carrick Mountain

  hill

  A modest forested hill with a moderate 7km loop and surprisingly broad views over east Wicklow and the coast.

• Carrickgollogan

  hill

  A modest forested hill whose summit gives a 360-degree sweep from Dublin Bay to the Wicklow ridge, near the historic Ballycorus lead mines chimney.

• Carrigfoyle

  viewpoint

  A regenerated quarry with a serene man-made lake and the rocky 360-degree lookout of Carrigfoyle Rock, with loops of varied length.

• Carrowkeel Megalithic Cemetery

  landmark

  A hilltop cluster of Neolithic passage tombs in the Bricklieve Mountains, reached by an uphill walk with commanding views over Lough Arrow.

• Carrowmore Megalithic Cemetery

  landmark

  Ireland's largest cluster of megalithic tombs set in open fields, an easy stroll among standing stones and dolmens beneath Knocknarea.

• Carton Demesne

  demesne

  A 1,100-acre Georgian parkland estate of the Dukes of Leinster, with trails along the Rye Water past an ornamental lake, boathouse and Tyrconnell Tower folly.

• Castle Lake

  lake

  A 50-acre lake ringed by waymarked Coillte forest loops passing Bailieborough Castle ruins and elevated viewpoints, good for a short scenic run.

• Castle Leslie Estate

  landmark

  A 1,000-acre estate of ancient woodland and lakes near Glaslough village with leisurely walking trails through undulating parkland.

• Castle Roche

  castle

  A dramatic 13th-century Norman castle perched on a rocky outcrop northwest of Dundalk with extensive views over the surrounding countryside.

• Castlecomer Discovery Park

  park

  Eighty acres of woodland and two lakes with easy level loop trails on former coal-mining land, a relaxed and scenic option for flat lakeside running.

• Castletown House

  parkland

  Over 120 acres of riverside parkland beside the Liffey with woodland and serpentine walks running between the great house and the Gothic Batty Langley Lodge.

• Cavan Burren Park

  park

  A walkable prehistoric limestone landscape of dolmens, wedge tombs and glacial erratics laced with easy looped forest trails.

• Cavan Cathedral

  landmark

  The grand 1942 basilica-style Cathedral of Saints Patrick and Felim, a landmark anchor for a town-centre walk or run.

• Cavan Way

  trail

  A roughly 26km waymarked national trail linking Dowra and Blacklion via the Shannon Pot, mixing riverside paths, quiet roads, karst limestone and open moorland.

• Céide Fields

  landmark

  The oldest known field system in the world, Stone Age walls preserved under blanket bog on a windswept clifftop site.

• Chair of Kildare

  hill

  An ancient mound on Grange Hill steeped in fairy folklore, a short sharp rise offering a quiet vantage over the Curragh and plains.

• Charleville Castle Demesne

  castle

  A gothic-revival castle set among some of Ireland's most ancient native oak forest, with an easy nature loop on the leafy demesne grounds just outside Tullamore.

• Claggan Mountain Coastal Trail

  trail

  A gentle boardwalk floating across coastal blanket bog with mountain and Atlantic views, an easy and atmospheric flat walk.

• Clare Glens

  glen

  A wooded red-sandstone river gorge with a roughly 4km loop following the Clare River past rock pools, rapids and waterfalls on both banks.

• Clermont Carn

  mountain

  A 510m Cooley summit topped by an ancient burial cairn right on the Northern Ireland border, a stiff climb often combined with Ravensdale Forest.

• Cliffs of Moher

  cliff

  Clare's flagship 214m sea cliffs with a clifftop coastal path running for kilometres above the Atlantic.

• Clones Round Tower

  landmark

  A 10th-century sandstone round tower in a compact walkable heritage precinct alongside a high cross and ancient church ruins.

• Clonmacnoise

  landmark

  A famed early-medieval monastic city on the River Shannon with round towers and high crosses, a striking destination at the end of an esker-top walking route.

• Cloonfad Scenic Walks

  waymarked trail

  Seven interconnected community walks totalling 25km on old paths through woodland and cutaway bog with panoramic countryside views.

• Clough Oughter Castle

  castle

  A picturesque 13th-century circular tower on a tiny island in Lough Oughter, a striking water-framed landmark visible from the Killykeen shore trails.

• Colclough Walled Garden

  landmark

  A restored Victorian walled garden reached by a woodland path over an old stone bridge across the Tintern River.

• Colligan Wood

  wood

  A scenic riverside and woodland trail in the Colligan valley with looped walks and views over the surrounding countryside.

• Concra Wood

  wood

  Lush forest on the shores of Lough Muckno offering quiet woodland walking with lake views beside the Concra Wood course.

• Connemara National Park

  national park

  A vast park of bog, heath and mountain with a network of waymarked nature, woodland and hill loops radiating from the Letterfrack visitor centre.

• Conor Pass

  mountain pass

  Ireland's highest mountain pass, a relentless climbing road between Dingle and Brandon Bay with corrie lakes and panoramic peninsula views.

• Coole Park

  nature reserve

  A literary-heritage nature reserve with flat wide woodland and lakeside paths along the WB Yeats trail, easy and family-friendly.

• Copper Coast Geopark

  coastal path

  A 25km UNESCO geopark coastline of rugged cliffs, coves and old mine ruins with clifftop walking trails between Bunmahon and Stradbally.

• Corlea Trackway

  trackway

  An Iron Age bog road dated to 148BC, the largest of its kind in Europe, sitting beside the greenway in flat, atmospheric raised-bog country.

• Corn Hill

  hill

  At 278m this is County Longford's highest point, a short but steep out-and-back over stone path and rough track to a summit cairn with views of nine counties.

• Coumeenoole Beach

  beach

  A windswept cove of golden sand and jagged black rocks below Dunmore Head, with a short steep grassy trail to clifftop views.

• Coumshingaun Lough

  lough

  One of Europe's finest corrie lakes ringed by cliffs rising 365m, with a famous loop walk involving exposed scrambling along the rim.

• Courtown Woods

  forest

  A shady riverside woodland beside Courtown harbour with easy looping forest paths, popular for a sheltered run close to the beach.

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