Carrauntoohil (Original Route)… Mud in a flood!

09 September, 2025 - Martin Cooney

Carrauntoohil (Original Route)… Mud in a flood! by Martin Cooney.

A drab, damp, damp morning greeted me as I left home for the Kingdom before 6am. T’was the sort of day you wouldn’t put a dog down in! It was quiet on the roads as I made my journey south-west and thankfully was uneventful. As I neared Killarney, I was a little tired from the early start so was thinking of stopping. No garage was open so straight onto Cronin’s Yard. As I pulled into the carpark, I noticed a few campervans parked up. Not long after parking, I noticed a few IMRA heads mooching around, no doubt after waking up from a blissful night’s sleep listening to the patter of rain upon the roofs of their vehicles (almost a monsoon by all accounts). I spotted the IMRA Munster van up by Mrs. Cronin’s home place. Up I went and chatted with Nick Hogan, Martin Hennessy, Stephen O’Keeffe & Joan Ryan.

Back to the van, into the running gear and back up for a kit-check and wait for the bus. The weather was a real mixed bag; shorts burst of rain and windy up near the summits. The bus took the early starters over first before coming back for the main bunch. There was a restricted limit on the race due to the side we were going up from; from the concrete road. Only 26 of the 36 registered showed up which wasn’t bad considering the weather. I bumped into Peter O’Farrell who was the main reason why I had registered for the race. Peter had two 1st place finishes in the M50 class of the Irish Championship; I had two 1st place finishes also but a 2nd at Mangerton meant that Peter would take the Irish Championship in M50 class if he came in first today in our age group.

There was real anticipation amongst the runners as it was the first time Carrauntoohil race was starting from the concrete road since 2009. All the more experienced (slightly older) runners were looking forward to reliving their younger years of mainly chasing the great John Lenihan up and down the original Carrauntoohil route. Those had not experienced it were looking forward to seeing what this classic route was going to be like. I, myself had only hiked the route previously and it was 10 years since I had last done it. The bus arrived and the 20 runners for the main race hopped off the bus.

A couple of minutes to gather ourselves before Nick (RD) called us up the path, over the stile and onto the serrated concrete gradient. Race details were given out noting that there early starters are already gone out about half an hour, mainly to follow the markers around a certain patch of bog. He did mention that it was fairly important to keep the cliffs to your left on the way up and to your right on the way down!
The consequences of not following these rules and keeping the cliffs at the opposite side were a bit like a portion of the movie Snatch where Turkish starts explaining to Tommy about Hare Coursing where “the big rabbit get f**ked!” Tommy’s response being “proper fe*ked, like”; “Yes Tommy; proper fe*kced!” … Well Nick didn’t have to give us that sort of details but we all understood to be careful along the summit edge of Caher in particular!

3, 2, 1, Go and away we all went. In most race, people burst off like cattle let out after the winter. Well this wasn’t it! I was at the back and it brought a smile to my face. It was like watching snails racing; the pace was so slow going up the grooved concrete ascent. No-one looked as if they were moving for about the first 20 seconds. I looked down at the surface as I ran and as I looked up again about 20 seconds later the group had stretched, with Brian Mullins in his White St. Finbarr’s Singlet leading the way followed by Henry Browne and a steady line of runners. I toddled along in the company of Tom Blackburn and Graham Bushe as we advanced up the almost alien-like surface on the Reeks. It sticks out like a furrowed scar on the mountain. We finally reach the top of the concrete and turn right onto a green road, which I had remembered to be a rocky road a decade ago. Even though I am only 500 metres into the race, the entire group is now stretched out over about 500 metres with Brian putting on an exhibition in uphill running. I try to hang onto Tom Blackburn for as long as I can. I reckon I am about 14th of the 20 runners.

A group of 8 of us inch our way up to the first stile, then farther up and over a gate which leads to the open mountain. There are children ringing a Swiss Cow Bell... Yes this happened and No; I haven’t had a drink in years.
Onwards and upwards; over the gate and onto open-mountain, the last of the rocky trail giving way to short, slimy grass, bog and gorse. I look up to see Brian’s white singlet away up the upcoming mountain. Tom is just in front of me, about 4 runners in front of him and then Peter O’Farrell leading our group. I have never knowingly raced against Peter before so did not know what he was like as a runner. Well; uphill is not a bother to him, keeping his legs ticking over with short strides. I am in contrast more like a wheezing, asthmatic elephant trudging on the sloppy ground. I plod away as best I can but uphill is not my forte; neither is flat even ground now that I think of it!

I am hanging onto Graham but Tom is away and up with Peter now as we are about 2.5km into the race. They are slowly jogging while I am in between power-hiking and slogging. It is soft, sloppy ground and while there is a trail, it is not a worn cut-out trail like you’d see at the other, more popular side of the mountain. There are six of us within about 30 metres with Tom & Peter in front as we pass Liam Vines; the last of the volunteers on the lower section of the mountain. Cloudy and damp air welcomes us as we head into an abyss which extends steadily upwards until there is no more to see but white mist. Over the next kilometre, we are all working hard to keep with Peter and Tom and somehow I end up leading the other three runners and I close the gap on Tom. The ground steepened, the rocky path became loose under foot and the wind was now starting to drive the damp mist into our bodies. I pulled on my jacket to break the wind. Up and up we all went until thankfully I see a large summit cairn and the smiling face of Sorcha Kearney welcoming us up onto Caher West. I am only 10 metres behind Tom. I latch onto him as we trot across the gnarly ridge which has slippy rocks and tiny puddles where the settling water gathers. I cannot see Peter anymore; he is gone like a ghost into the mist I presume. As we carefully run along the ridge, we catch up with the first of the early starters. We pass at any safe opportunity and move onwards as there is a very slight descent of making 20m in height before another ascent. Tom keeps going strong and I hang onto his silhouette in the misty distance. Brian Mullins passes us on his way back down off Ireland’s highest summit.
We come off the summit of Caher just as I am passed by a runner who is motoring well. We pass Kate McDonald who is carefully threading across the slippy rocks, it being here first time on Carrauntoohil in a race. There is a sharp drop down through an extra rocky area over the 150 metres in distance as the cliff face cuts in. We turn slightly right and stay on this path as there is no surface on the left, only a 400 metre near vertical drop onto “sure to kill you” rocks! I chase after Tom & other runner as we get through this descent onto flatter ground, where our next volunteer; Micheal McSweeney greets us with a big smile & “Well Done” while lying down in his finest Columbia Gear which I’m sure he received as work clothing! Last bit of an uphill to take us to the summit, thankfully I have Tom in my sights so happy where I am as I pass the runner who had previously passed me. As we pick up the final markers to take us to the cross at the summit, Peter O’Farrell passes me on the way down. I look at my watch to see how long it takes me to get back to this spot. I keep going onwards as the ground evens out and the happy head of Martin Hennessy greets me as I shout out my name. I touch the cross, get my bearing and prepare myself to start pursuing Tom.

And off I go like the hammers of hell, hopping over drenched rock and spot the markers to take me off the summit. I pass the spot where I met Peter- he has a 1 min 30 secs lead on me. Oh boy; no pressure on me at all as I head as fast as I can down the shaley descent firstly in pursuit of Tom. I catch him as we pass Micheal. I am blowing a bit now and happy to break back to power-walking on that steep descent with the sheer cliffs now at my right side. Up I go following Tom as the mist hits me in the face. I am managing to stay with him but it is taking all my wits- he is so good on technical ground. Back across the Caher ridge we go seemingly never ending even though it was only maybe five minutes. On the last uphill gradient, I stop and tie my laces as I know I won’t get a chance once we start the really steep, technical descent off Caher Mountain. I get going again and as I pass Sorcha who is still as bubbly as ever, Tom is not in my view. I look down left at the shaley, furrowed path which cuts through the boggy mountainside and can Tom bouncing down through the furrow. Without hesitation, I chase after him and can only say that self-preservation is taking a second place as my competitive instinct rears its ugly head. Down though the furrowed, rocky path I go and am bouncing down with drops of two-plus feet being taken to try to chew into Tom’s lead on me. We are still in the clouds. I get a few lucky breaks in the lines I take down and catch up with Tom within a couple of minutes. I pass him and am really going well. As I look up, I can see all the way to the road which will bring us home and for the first time in 20 minutes can see Peter O’F as well.

Suddenly Tom is beside me having taken a wonderful race line and bi-sected my path. We end up going stride for stride for the next kilometre or so; each of us taking the lead and all the while eating up the ground on Peter. We pass peter with about three kilometres to go. I take a slip just as I pass him but thankfully compose myself enough to stay on my feet- squeaky bum time!
Now my question is “have I gone too early and will I blow up”. Staying with Tom is my priority as he is so fluent on this uneven, boggy ground which has some gorse thrown in for good measure. We pass Liam Vines and the next two volunteers (my apologies for not getting your names) as we hit the final turn on the boggy section and pick up the markers. As we hit this turn, Tom and I are in line with each other as we bounce over the rocks and boggy mounds. Tom went slightly left where I made a bee-line for outside the white tape. I gain a few metres on him here and can see the start of the rocky path which will bring us onto the finish. I try to take off my jacket as I am getting warm now. As I unzip it, I almost take a fall so decide to concentrate on staying vertical. Down the rocky path, over the bridge, hop the gate- I get the time to get off my jacket and decide I will hold it from here to the finish. I can see the next along this grassy road for about a kilometre and know the finish is about 500 metres after that. I run as fast as I can along this slimy ground which is great except that I have to slow to get over the stile. A few skids as I slow enough to control myself, hop over the steps of the still and get back up to speed. I glance back and can see Tom about a hundred metres back so this race is not over. As I pass a couple, I enquire as to where the next 2 runners are; “a bit back” is what I hear… How long is a piece of string? I do not ease off and as I turn onto the final descent of the concrete road, I glance to my left and can see that bar I fall, neither Tom nor Peter should catch me. I run hard down the road until I pass the crowd at the finish line. 5th position which is unreal for me- I am thrilled and what a way to finish the Irish Championships.

Congrats to Caroline & Brian on their race wins and a massive thanks to Nick and to all the volunteers for helping on this challenging day in terms of weather. Massive thanks to Esther and John Cronin and all at Cronin’s Yard for facilitating us and for shower facilities and parking. While the numbers were small for the race, the race itself was a resounding success.

Roll on 2026, hopefully this classic route can make the IMRA race calendar.

Peter O'Farrell

08 September, 2025

Huge thanks to all at Cronins and all the volunteers for putting the original Carantoohill race route back on the map!

I think the once feared concrete road is less fearful with the bouncy soled runners we sport these times. Not one blister on my heels anyway.

The weather can make these races easier and harder too. The lovely misty conditions we found yesterday made it easier to run than the clear sunny heat of Galteemore earlier in the season, which is often trying to those more used to soft Irish rain.

Caroline Harney Ayton and Brian Mullins found the conditions to their liking with strong wins and Bernard Fortune had a steady climb followed by a super descent to race into 2nd on the day.

I know the Reeks Access Forum might have something to say about it but the obvious route now that we have to use a bus anyway is to start at the hydro road, run up to Carantoohill and down the zig zags to Cronins. Whadda route!

Thanks to Graham Bushe for picking me up at 4.30am and driving us down to Cronins. The chats were varied and mighty.