Moylussa- A Mountain where you can find yourself… Literally.

27 May, 2025 - Martin Cooney

A mixed bag of weather greeted us all on Sunday at Moylussa. I arrived early to aid Rowan (RD for the day) as a volunteer. Initially I had signed up to run the race but Rowan was short volunteers so I had no problem in volunteering- Please note this statement for later in the report!

Stephen O’Keeffe and Martin Hennessy were already waiting in the upper carpark with the IMRA Munster van. My first job was to get the water filled so I took the water container down to the coffee shop at the Twomilegate carpark and they duly obliged. Back up and met Rowan, Aoife, Maire, Louis, Kevin B. and Brian Sheedy.
A few formalities completed about where we were on the course and off we all went with Kevin B. at the lower junction, Brian S. at the Moylussa summit & myself, where I was to be located just off the summit of Feenlea mountain where I was to direct the runners into the woods. A WhatsApp group was set up and off not long after getting to my location, the message came that the main race was off!

The race was about 20 minutes in & I could was up on a height. I could see the leaders starting to make their way up the mountain, watching little dots traversing up the zig-zag fire-road. A few minutes later; the leading dots started to make their way back down. I got into my position and waited for a message from Kevin B. The message came through that they were on the way. Then my phone died completely even though it had been 58% a couple of minutes before.

Five minutes later, Nick Hogan followed Sean Quirke came motoring over Feenlea Mountain, down the hill, through a gate and off into the woods for some more fun. The rain started to lash down and keeping dry was not in the equation. For the next hour or so; runners came passing through until finally a bearded man wielding a hammer above his head came running towards us!
He was closely followed by Brian S. & Kevin B. I was unsure if I was about to be hammered to death but I figure I was okay if he hadn’t killed Brian & Kevin yet. It turned out that the hammer was for de-marking the course so all the runners were through as Michael “Hammer-Man” was the tail-runner.

We all decided to go down through the back end of the course on the mountain-bike route. An enjoyable, uneventful trot through the woods on the MTB route was had until Stephen Erswell took a hopper! He bounced back up & we carried on. After 20 minutes we got back to the Start/Finish and everyone was happy… until we discovered that there was a discrepancy in numbers started & finished. There were 2 runners unaccounted for. The first runner was located; having completed the route and was accounted for with a phone call… A chat was had about the other runner who had not returned. It was discovered that there were 3 lads waiting for this one runner, who apparently could get lost in a Tayto bag! His number was rang and thankfully he answered. Apparently he took a wrong turn at the only unmanned junction on the course, which was the turn to take you Up to the summit of Moylussa. He decided to keep on the fire-road and was descending downhill even though there was a BIG MOUNTAIN THAT HE NEEDED TO SUMMIT before returning down. It was visibly there in front of him and yet he started downhill.

Anyway; we got news that he was okay and returning downhill via the fire-road. Thank God cos if he had gone into the woods- he’d be lost forever!

So panic over or was it?
The timekeepers went through the numbers a 15th time and again, there was someone missing. A massive chat was had and we were just about to head out looking for the missing runner. We were unsure of who the runner was that was unaccounted for but we had to try. As a group, we were just starting to walk up the hill out of the carpark. Just then a shout came out from the timekeepers, “we know who is missing!” This was brilliant news- I shouted back to the two timekeepers as to who it was. They in turn shouted back at me collectively “FE*KIN YOU, YOU EEJIT”. We all walked back down confused- me more than anybody! How was I missing- I was here; I’m sure I was; unless this is a Matrix moment and I’m not real… so I was about to head up the mountain looking for…. MYSELF! What’s more is I had company- IMRA Munster Volunteers were going to help me find myself!

A few laughs were had about the whole thing but I’m sure it wouldn’t have been funny had we found this out five hours into a search. Eventually “Tayto Bag Boy” arrived to a big cheer from everyone and finally the Moylussa race was completed. His friends are forever going to roast him about this cos he had been up to the summit before.

To clear up the matter completely; this is how it probably happened. I was there at the start (Note from earlier that I had registered for the race) but headed off up the mountain to my position. Someone seen me & with a brush of a highlighter, I was marked in as being a runner even though I hadn’t actually went over to the table to sign in.

Congrats to Mary Louise & Sean on their race wins and to Rowan (RD) on not losing anyone... and to all the volunteers for helping me find myself!

Anyway; all’s well that ends well- I hope not to have any runners geographically misplaced this weekend as I am Race Director in Cratloe… WATCH THIS SPACE!

Moylussa 25 May 2025

25 May, 2025 - Donagh O' Sullivan

After two blissful months of weather April and May this year, today proved to be showery, but we managed to avoid any heavy rain.
The two events today were the 4km event and the 10km event. They were both well planned, marshalled , under the watchful eye of Rowan who directed affairs.

Moylussa is located in the Ballycuggeran hills just outside the twin towns of Ballina- Killaloe. Those who came today likely crossed the newly opened Brian Boru bridge between Co. Tipperary and Co. Clare.

The 45 who participated today were all winners as the course offered a selection of terrains and trails over approx 10km and 560m of climbing. The first 5km were on a combination of fireroad , single person trail and the final 1km rocky assent to Moylussa which is enough to bring the most hardened runner to a walk.

Two ladies, centurions of IMRA runs, greeted us on our accent of Moylussa and later on in the dense forestry. Lough Derg was visible from the top, and also the top of Finlay hill in all it's glory. Most of the climbing was done getting to Moylussa, the highest peak in Co. Clare and we were glad to round the rock on top and stretch our legs again on the way back down to the fire road. When I saw the fellow carrying a large rock against his chest up the Moylussa trail as I defended it the legs felt a big lighter.

We weren't long on that fireroad when we were directed into the forestry bringing us out onto Finlay hill , that has bog on both sides of a wide bog road. From there we went into a dense forestry with only narrow trails that needed your attention each step of the way as you stepped, slipped, jumped and zigzagged our way through it. For many this was the most exciting and rewarding part of the run . Thanks to the course markers who did a great job in that forestry.
We exited this forrest with about 1km to go , the last 500m was a fast down hill through a trail edge through trees either side.

Many thanks for all the volunteers who did a great job marshalling , planning and marking the route, and thanks also to those who prepared refreshments and manned that station.

With the Brian Boru bridge providing easy access to Ballycuggeran, don't be strangers and visit again soon. Well done to all runners who competed fiersely and finished with smiles on their faces.