Connacht Championship Weekend
| Author | Date | Message |
|---|---|---|
| Liam Vines | Jun 3 2025, 9:35pm | Connacht Championship Weekend 2025. Saturday 21st June Mweelrea 1pm and Sunday 22nd June Benbulben 11am. With camping in between at Strandhill campsite and whatever normally happens at the CC weekend but that’s in the capable hands of Stuart and Alice and a few other regulars. What I need to know for now is who is camping and how many is in your tent?? We need to give the campsite some sort of an idea of numbers in the next week. Let me know below.. Thanks |
| Stuart Scott | Jun 4 2025, 11:38am | Thanks Liam. Is it that time of year already?!! Count me in for 1 tent and 1 person please! We'll have to have a think about the unholy bbq but we'll try to cater for everyone who posts here. If anyone would like to join for the bbq but not the camping please let me know directly. |
| Alistair Hodgett | Jun 4 2025, 1:00pm | Sign me up as well please: 1 person, 1 tent, 2 mountain runs....! The photos of last year's runs looked amazing. |
| Dave Docherty | Jun 4 2025, 2:26pm | I'm a hopeful maybe for the caming, bbq, racing. Thanks |
| Dermot O'Eidhneain | Jun 4 2025, 2:34pm | 1 tent and 1 person please. Thanks Dermot |
| Stephen Lavelle | Jun 5 2025, 11:46am | 1 tent, 1 person please, thanks Liam. |
| Alice Clancy | Jun 6 2025, 1:16pm | Thanks for organising this Liam! Can I book 2 tent spots for 3 people? 'Whatever normally happens at a CC weekend' is quite a loaded and all encompassing phrase....while I'm not sure we can promise the full set of CC hi-jinks at the new campsite, what I can say is that preparations are underway to bring the (un) holy bbq to Sligo on Saturday night to coincide with the Summer Solstice....so there is likely to be feasting and toasting of some nature on the beach....anyone who'd like to join the bbq but not camp, let Stuart know or post here. |
| Justin Rea | Jun 9 2025, 10:05am | Van plus tent plus two people for Paula and myself. Unfortunately I will not be defending my Connacht Champs title, but Paula will. Looking forward to a re-imagining of this great event. Strandhill is an epic place to have the overnight. |
| Jeff Swords | Jun 9 2025, 10:37am | Hi Liam, One person and one tent for myself. |
| Kathleen Curran | Jun 9 2025, 11:17am | Hi Liam, Going to give the CC races a lash! Count me in for one person tent please and bbq (vegetarian). Let me know Alice and Stuart if you need any help with this. Thanks, Kathleen |
| Seán Quirke | Jun 11 2025, 2:01pm | Hi 1 tent 1 person please |
| Derek Hay | Jun 12 2025, 11:37am | Hi Liam, 1 tent 1 person please. |
| Aidan McMoreland | Jun 12 2025, 11:42am | For anyone planning to run Benbulben, please see updated organisers instructions for race registration, shuttle bus to race start and alternate parking option. |
| Becky Quinn | Jun 12 2025, 8:56pm | Hi Liam, 1 tent for 1 please. |
| Stuart Scott | Jun 13 2025, 4:04pm | Any more takers for the bbq and/or camping? Remember it's in Strandhill this year so very accessible even if you're just planning on doing the "Short Championship" event (Ben Bulben only!). |
| Stuart Scott | Jun 15 2025, 8:24pm | Hi all. I'm setting up a Whatisup group for next weekend - it could be useful to discuss camping, the bbq, logistics and the like. If you'd like to be included please text me or email on scottst1 A-t gmail Dot com. IMRA have kindly agreed to contribute a small budget to the bbq (which is purely unofficial and like all unofficial events, entirely at your own risk :-)). If anyone would be able to help with the extras like green salady things etc that'd be very much appreciated. If anyone has any wood for the bbq please let me know too, all contributions welcome (except carpet tiles, once was enough :-) ). See ye next weekend! Stuart |
| Stivens Sanchez | Jun 15 2025, 9:01pm | Hi friends I hope everyone is well, I write about information. For the next weekend, we are looking for participation in the championship but we have no idea about the transport to get the race, please if somebody has any suggestions over how arrive at the place of the race would be great, we are in Dublin also we can pay transport from here to Westport if somebody is driving until there. Please any help will be appreciated guys thanks so much. |
| Stivens Sanchez | Jun 15 2025, 9:05pm | Sorry if maybe the message is not properly understood I still improving my communication skills with the English |
| Alice Clancy | Jun 15 2025, 10:44pm | Hey Stivens, great that ye are planning to come west! If you join the WhatsApp group set up by Stuart (see earlier post), I'm sure it will be possible to connect you with a lift! There's likely to be people driving west from Dublin on Friday evening / Saturday morning and back again on Sunday. |
| Stephen Lavelle | Jun 16 2025, 8:03am | Will there be an IMRA "shop entry" set-up for paying for the camping, or do we pay at the campsite? Thanks |
| Stivens Sanchez | Jun 16 2025, 11:17am | Thanks miss Alice I will join at the WhatsApp group to get the information |
| Liam Vines | Jun 16 2025, 1:44pm | Camping is now on sale in the shop for Strandhill campsite. €28 a tent and there are 20 pitches available.. Not long to go now. And remember let Stuart and Alice know if you are going to the BBQ even if your not camping.. |
| Alistair Hodgett | Jun 16 2025, 1:56pm | Thanks Liam. Am I right that the camping in the shop is for the Saturday (and any Friday night stays need to be booked with the campsite directly)? |
| Liam Vines | Jun 16 2025, 8:10pm | Yes Alistair camping just for the Saturday night. Think a few might be camping at Silverstrand (start point for Mweelrea) on Friday night but not an official IMRA date. |
| Aidan McMoreland | Jun 19 2025, 11:10am | Hi all, just a quick reminder re Benbulben FOR PEOPLE WHO DONT HAVE SHUTTLE BUS TICKETS PLEASE USE ALTERNATE PARKING OPTION available at Gortarowey Forest Car Park (Coillte), Cashelgarran. (1km from turn off at Henrys Restaurant on N15)(capacity 20-25 cars). 4km from race start at Lukes Bridge. Runners must register in Grange beforehand so please plan this alternative in advance. |
| Aidan McMoreland | Jun 19 2025, 3:08pm | Hi all, an additional 24 seater bus has been booked, running from registration at 10.15 am to race start at Lukes Bridge |
| Stuart Scott | Jun 19 2025, 3:14pm | Thanks brilliant Aidan, thanks a million for organising it. It'll certainly take the pressure off! |
| Aidan Cleary | Jun 20 2025, 12:02pm | Hi, Thanks to all for organising! One car-camper, one bbq please. |
| Aidan McMoreland | Jun 22 2025, 2:13pm | Well done to all competitors on Benbulben today. Results and photos will be posted soon. We hope to see everyone back again next year. |
| Alice Clancy | Jun 24 2025, 9:38am | Thank you to Liam, Aidan, all of the volunteers and everyone who contributed to making this weekend so special and memorable this year. A lot of work and thought went on in the background to make it happen this year. I hope ye know that work is very much appreciated by all of us. Mweelrea was magical - foggy, boggy, madness…up at the col in the thick swirling cloud was like being on the surface of the moon….and thankfully so well marked that none of us decided to tackle an additional peak. It is without doubt the most beautiful and exhilarating descents in the country…hurtling out of the fog towards the beach, getting distracted by the stunning scenery while trying to remember the landmarks that will guide you to the gate and towards the cool waters of the Atlantic for the swim afterwards while all the while your legs go faster than you can think. It’s a really beautiful place and we are so lucky to be able to run there, thanks to the volunteers who looked after us all so well. The Barbeque and camping on the beach in Strandhill was a great idea! The sun made a reappearance for the evening and sitting in the dunes, watching the sun go down while being served up delicious food by the IMRA chefs was quite something! Everyone pitched in. The provision of hot showers and a kitchen at the campsite made for a more luxurious CC camping experience than we are used to and I think it will become a firm favourite in years to come. Benbulben for day two was a fantastic idea! We were warmly hosted by IMRA west - there’s a great set up in the west, and very strong runners! Even the near biblical deluge before the race start couldn’t dampen spirits! The route in Benbulben was epic. A first for many of us, it has a bit of everything, but the boggy plateau and steep mucky descent were my favourites….it’s a really challenging and fast route, and so so beautiful there. Hopefully this will remain as leg 2 of the CC for years to come. Thank you to all the IMRA west crew for hosting us. A special thank you to my carpoolers Patsy and Patience….while air conditioning doesn’t flow in my carpool, conversation was plentiful! We shared a weekend of dolphins, drones, dreams and …Queen (s)!. I couldn’t have wished for better company to share this special weekend with. I’d encourage anyone tempted by this description to head west next year and give the Champs a try. The Connaught Champs might be an acquired taste, but once acquired, hard to quit! See you all next year! |
| Barry Gallagher | Jun 24 2025, 11:33am | It was lovely meeting a lot of the east/southeast gang at sign-in and for chats after coming off the mountain. I'm glad you all enjoyed the stay in Strandhill & the race. If you looked up at Knocknarea from the sand dunes and wondered what the view is like from on top, come back for Queen Maeve's race on Aug 9th and find out :) |
