Running the Grand Canal

Outside

Hi All,

Just wondering if anyone here has information on is it even possible to run the whole length of the Grand canal from Dublin to Shannon harbour? I have run approx 10 miles of the canal near Shannon harbour and it was really nice, a little wet in patches but all clear.

Is there a path beside the canal the whole way?

eoin ryan

Yup. But it is important to know what side of the tow path to be on when you come to a bridge otherwise you'll have to eventually turn back as you hit a dead end or jump in. It's not sign posted in the remote areas. I don't recommend the jumping in - canals are not the easiest to get out off...

PaulieC

Have a look here. I only know the route from Ringsend to the M50 and it's quite dull, but that may be just over familiarity.

CorkRunning

I have a few links to articles in this post here... http://corkrunning.blogspot.ie/2013/01/coast-to-coast-ultra-in-england-why-not.html

It would be interesting to see something happening with this proposed route.

franer1970

Series of photographs taken along the canal along its whole length:
http://www.geograph.ie/search.php?i=40766341#i=40766341&zoom=11&lat=53.22973&lon=-7.40358&layers=FFT00B000000000T
50 photos are shown at a time - go through the pages to see more.
Towpath varies in quality from a regular tarmac road http://www.geograph.ie/photo/3049183 to a muddy quagmire http://www.geograph.ie/photo/3090836

meathcountysec

Might be something useful here:

http://www.iwai.ie/maps/grand/contents.html

iamjenko

Couple of my mates ran the length of it in a week in October!

https://www.facebook.com/CoastToCoast6MarathonsIn6Days?fref=ts

I will try an dig up their garmin link

Murph_D

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Murph_D

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Outside

Nice one, lots of great info here, thanks. It definitely seems possible so, well in theory anyway, in practice it might be a different story. The plan may be to give a go at running Dublin to Galway towards the end of June just out of interest and for the experience of running across our Island.

I'll keep ye all posted if there are any updates, just at the planning stages yet!

eoin ryan

It is possible and doable. If you need any info drop me a line. I ran it once upon a time

belcarra

Outside wrote: »

Nice one, lots of great info here, thanks. It definitely seems possible so, well in theory anyway, in practice it might be a different story. The plan may be to give a go at running Dublin to Galway towards the end of June just out of interest and for the experience of running across our Island.

I'll keep ye all posted if there are any updates, just at the planning stages yet!

Nice one! Given the stiff Easterlys we've been experiencing the past 6 weeks, can't help feel that was an opportunity lost!:cool:

Omarscoming

I've been running along the Grand Canal for the last few weeks. So far I've covered Ringsend to Clondalkin. Hoping to run to Sallins next month. Does anyone know what the towpath is like from Clondalkin to Sallins?

Krusty_Clown

Omarscoming wrote: »

I've been running along the Grand Canal for the last few weeks. So far I've covered Ringsend to Clondalkin. Hoping to run to Sallins next month. Does anyone know what the towpath is like from Clondalkin to Sallins?

It's really good as far as the 12th Lock. After that, the surface is a little more trail-like (a little further away than that link).

belcarra

There's some nice surface after Hazelhatch (back of Lyons Estate/Ardclough) also for a few miles but it's grassy trail for sections before and after.
Overall, if the weather is decent then should be fine.

Here is a mini report from when I did it just over a year ago but we'd had torrential rain leading up to that:
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=78389062&postcount=247

average_runner

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

It's really good as far as the 12th Lock. After that, the surface is a little more trail-like (a little further away than that link).

Sometimes there can be trouble after Clondalkin on the canal, so maybe do it early morning, i usually avoid.

tHE vAGGABOND

Sometimes there can be trouble after Clondalkin on the canal, so maybe do it early morning, i usually avoid.

Do it late night, and consider it an adventure race

average_runner

tHE vAGGABOND wrote: »

Do it late night, and consider it an adventure race

An adventure I think i would rather miss!!!:D

Omarscoming

I was running along the canal yesterday evening just past inchicore and it was lively. The Bud was flowing and the lads were diving into water off the lock. They paid no attention to the joggers or cyclists.

belcarra

Omarscoming wrote: »

I was running along the canal yesterday evening just past inchicore and it was lively. The Bud was flowing and the lads were diving into water off the lock. They paid no attention to the joggers or cyclists.

In fairness nobody's gonna mess with Omar!

ClashCityRocker

Roughly how far is it along the path from Ringsend to Clondalkin? Staying for a weekend in Ringsend in a couple of weeks so looking for a ten mile-ish run (i.e. there and back)

Murph_D

It's about 10.5k from Grand Canal Dock to the M50 motorway, which is close to Clondalkin at that point.

Amigaman

I regularly run the section between 12th lock and Inchicore and its a great section to run 20 odd k and only 2 roads to cross...and never had a problem on it ... great run