Ireland Trail Running + Wellness Retreat 2022

Arriving to Ireland 

We recommend flying to Dublin International Airport the day before the retreat begins, or the morning of Day 1. If you fly in on Day 1, our driver (who will be holding a Run Wild Retreats sign) will meet you at the Arrivals Hall of the airport at 12:30 p.m. at Terminal 1’s Currency Exchange Desk. If you arrived the previous day, we will rendez-vous at the Beresford Hotel on Store Street in downtown Dublin. 

Departing Ireland

On Day 7, you may choose to be dropped off at the Dublin International Airport by around 4:30 p.m., or in the Dublin city center. (Note: this time is estimated and cannot be guaranteed due to traffic volumes, etc). 

Note: our driver can drop off at a centralized location near the downtown core and may not be directly at your hotel due to heavy traffic in the downtown core and restrictions on large vehicles. If you are departing on an early morning flight the next day, we recommend choosing a hotel near the airport that offers free shuttle service. 

**A Covid Test may be required for re-entry to the United States. Click here for information about on-site testing at Dublin International Airport. 

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Our retreat begins in Dublin City, where we'll pick you up at a central location at 1 p.m. and drive 75 minutes south to County Wicklow, where our retreat program begins. Upon arrival, we'll check into our rooms at a family-owned hotel nestled in the wooded valley of Glendalough. You'll have some time to change your clothes before we gather for our Official Retreat Opening Meet + Greet, after which we'll head outside for a relaxed, refreshing, short shake-out run. We will run past the famous round tower and the ruins of a 12th-century cathedral, then along the boardwalk leading to Upper Glendalough Lake. After our run, you’ll have some free time to freshen up before dinner.

Time on Trail: 90 minutes  including stops and breaks
 

After breakfast, we'll drive about 25 minutes to the trail head at Crones, where we'll have our first Natural Running Form Clinic to warm up before starting our point-to-point run along a spectacular and scenic stretch of The Wicklow Way that contours around the lower slopes of Djouce Mountain. Starting on a wooded trail, we'll gradually ascend through fields of vibrant purple heather bushes to the high country, where we'll enjoy views of the Irish Sea and Lough Dan. We'll warm up with a hot traditional Irish carvery lunch, then have some free time before our first of three Wellness Workshops, followed by dinner at the renowned Wicklow Heather restaurant.

Time on Trail: 2 - 3 hours  including stops and breaks

After enjoying an breakfast, we’ll begin our morning run along the Spinc Trail ("spinc" being Irish for "pointed hill") which, after passing Poulnass waterfall, involves a long uphill in the early miles that rewards us with views over Upper Glendalough Lake. Today's trail features long stretches of boardwalk that save our feet from the shoe-sucking mud bogs prevalent in this area. Later in the run, we follow wooden bridges over creeks and stone paths laid my miners way back when mining was taking place here. We'll even see remnants of old stone buildings in which they lived.  After a late checkout, we leave Wicklow and start working our way to the west coast, stopping at one of Ireland's most famous pubs for lunch. We arrive in Ennistymon this evening and stay as an historic inn (with spa) for a relaxing evening.

Time on trail: 2 - 3 hours  including stops and breaks

After breakfast, we'll check out of the hotel take a 20-minute drive to the starting point of today's run along the section of coast known as The Wild Atlantic Way. Today's run is relatively short, but packs a LOT in the way of spectacular scenery. This out-and-back run along a grassy and gravel coastal path that takes us to the breathtaking Cliffs of Moher, one of Ireland's most visited and iconic natural features. Weather permitting, today's run is an out-and-back along a section of trail leading to the Cliffs of Moher visitor's center and the nearby O'Brien's Tower. You'll have plenty of opportunity to take photos of this spectacular landscape before you resume running south. After run we'll stop in Lahinch for lunch, after which it's a 3.5-hour drive south to County Kerry, where we'll check into The Lake Hotel, where we'll stay for the next three nights.

Time on Trail: 1.5 - 2 hours  including stops and breaks 

After breakfast, we have a 25-minute drive to Kate Kearney's Cottage at the mouth of the Gap of Dunloe, a narrow mountain pass forged between the MacGillycuddy Reeks and Purple Mountain. Today's run is a relatively easy and relaxed run on an historic road that we'll share with hikers and horse-drawn carriages (colloquially called "jaunting cars"), through the Black Valley all the way to Lord Brandon's Cottage on a serene lake. From here, we leave the road behind and enter a magical trail thick with lush ferns and moss-covered trees. At the run's end, our driver meets us (with lunches packed) and we'll drive to a nearby scenic viewpoint for a picnic lunch. After lunch, it's a short drive back to our hotel, where you can enjoy some time. Spend the afternoon exploring this historic village or having a spa treatment at the Muckross Spa. 

Time on trail: 3 - 4 hours  including stops and breaks

You're in for a real treat this afternoon at the Spa at Muckross, Killarney

Meet in the lobby of the Lake Hotel after lunch and drive 5 - 10 minutes to the Muckross House. After checking in, you'll begin with an hour to enjoy the serenity of the Vitality Suite. This sacred space features indoor swimming pool, steam room, jacuzzi, ice fountain, herbal steam room and more. 
Then you will meet your massage therapist for a 50-minute full body massage. 

After breakfast, we have a 25-minute drive to Kate Kearney's Cottage at the mouth of the Gap of Dunloe, a narrow mountain pass forged between the MacGillycuddy Reeks and Purple Mountain. Today's run is a relatively easy and relaxed run on an historic road that we'll share with hikers and horse-drawn carriages (colloquially called "jaunting cars"), through the Black Valley all the way to Lord Brandon's Cottage on a serene lake. From here, we leave the road behind and enter a magical trail thick with lush ferns and moss-covered trees. At the run's end, our driver meets us (with lunches packed) and we'll drive to a nearby scenic viewpoint for a picnic lunch. After lunch, it's a short drive back to our hotel, where you can enjoy some time this afternoon to explore the historic village before our second Wellness Workshop followed by dinner at one of Killarney's best restaurants.

Time on trail: 3 - 4 hours  including stops and breaks

This morning, you’ll have the option to participate in an early pre-breakfast run from the hotel that takes you through the ominous stone ruins of Muckross Abbey. You'll return to the hotel in plenty of time to have a hearty breakfast, shower and pack up. We'll have our Official Retreat Closing Meeting and take a moment to reflect on the week's experiences. At 11:00 a.m., we'll check out of our rooms and board the bus one final time for the return trip to Dublin. We'll arrive in the city at around 4:30 p.m., where we say our final goodbyes before our final departures. We will drop you near downtown (one centralization location due to heavy traffic in the downtown core) or at the Dublin International Airport. (Please see "How to Plan your Travel" section for details about Covid testing).

Time on trail: 30 - 45 minutes  including brief stops