Back in 2024, Grellan McGrath and myself started a project to try and cycle to every 5k parkrun in Co Cork. That summer, we managed the long trip from Cork City down to Castlehaven and back in a day for #7.
In 2025, we went to Midleton for #8 and then in July, we made the long trip to Glengarriff for my 100th 5k parkrun and Cork parkrun #9... https://corkrunning.blogspot.com/2025/07/long-cycle-to-glengarriff-to-do-my.html
That particular cycle was just over 200kms for me so I knew that getting to Bere Island and back would be a two day trip for sure.
On Friday the 16th of August, I left my house at about 12:30pm and began the long cycle to Castletownbere. At about 1:40pm, I met up with Grellan in Ballincollig and then we were on the road. We went the most direct route possible which is via Crookstown and on the 'Bantry Line' to Coppeen and over the Cousane Gap to Ballylickey.
The last time we used this route was for the cycle to the Glengarriff parkrun. On that occasion, we went through Crookstown at dawn on a cool Saturday morning on quiet roads and we were in fog for most of the journey down.
This time, it was a different proposition. It was a warm busy Friday afternoon with lots of people driving on the same road to west Cork.
It would have been nicer to have a quieter route but any alternatives are both much hillier and longer. Any substantial delay would risk arriving in Castletownbere well after sunset.
Aided by a strong easterly tailwind, we made good time and arrived at the Cousane Gap in hazy sunshine. As you can see from the photo above, we carried quite a bit of gear this time in marked contrast to the Glengarriff one-day trip when we had very little.
Up and over the Cousane Gap and then down to Ballylickey for the first coffee break, about the 90km mark for me and 67km for Grellan.
Break over, it was back to the unrelenting tempo of pushing westwards to get to our destination before it was too dark... over the hill to Glengarriff and then down the long Beara peninsula.
There was one particular hill at a townland called Coolieragh where it was a struggle not to walk. Coming at 108kms, it was pretty brutal.
Onwards we went, through Adrigole and eventually arrived at the Berehaven Golf Club & Camper Park at about 7:20pm. We had made good time with plenty of daylight left but I was pretty much spent due to the fast pace and the weight of all the gear on the bike. I had cycled 130kms but it felt like 180.
After signing in, we then proceeded to set up the two tents. Why camp? Our aim was to get to each of the parkruns in Cork under our own power. If we had to do an overnight trip then it seemed more appropriate that we should carry our own means of sleeping rather than staying in a B&B or guesthouse. There was going to be no luxury on this trip! 😂
Once the tents were up and safe in the knowledge that we had some place to sleep for the night, we cycled the 5kms or so into Castletownbere for some food and drink.
Considering it was a Friday evening in the middle of August, I was expecting the town to be very busy. In reality, it wasn't or at least it didn't seem to be. There was still plenty of people about but I just thought it would have been busier.
It was still surreal to be sitting in the square in Castletownbere in west Cork considering that we had cycled there under our own power all the way from Cork City.
10pm arrived and it was a case of cycling back the 5kms in the dark to the camp site. Planning for the trip, we brought lights for the bikes just in case and in the end, we actually needed them.
Pressing finish on the Strava app, I had clocked a total of 141.2kms or 88-miles for the day.
The thing about camping is that it's the unforeseen things that can be an issue. I brought an inflatable mattress, an inflatable pillow, a blanket, etc. What I hadn't accounted for was the noise from the tent flapping in the strong breeze and this meant a night of broken sleep.
The photo above shows the flag on the site horizontal in the strong easterly breeze. Bere Island can be seen in the background.
The next morning, it was a case of packing up the tents and gear and cycling the 300m or so across the golf course to the ferry for the 8:30am crossing. There was about 15-20 other foot passengers there who were also getting on the ferry, most of whom seemed to be going to the parkrun.
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| On the ferry to Bere Island |
The situation with the ferry may not be very clear for anyone going to the parkrun for the first time.
The ferry that we got was Murphys Ferry Service which operates from a pier which is about 5kms to the east of Castletownbere. For 2025, the early 8:30am service on a Saturday morning only operates from the 22nd of June to the 31st of August. It goes directly to Rerrin on the east side of Bere Island and it's a 600m walk from the pier there to the parkrun.
The other ferry is Bere Island Ferries which goes from Castletownbere to the west side of the island. This leaves at 9am every Saturday all year round and you need to book the ferry in advance so that there is a space for you on the shuttle bus for the 7km trip from the west side of the island to the parkrun.
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| Parkrun finish chute with Hungry Hill in the background |
After a choppy crossing, we left the ferry and cycled the 600m up to the GAA grounds which is the HQ for the parkrun. If you're a first time visitor then just follow the other visitors.
We were the first to arrive and there was nobody there. Within 15 mins, people and buses were arriving and the place was a hive of activity as everyone got ready.
The parkrun is one 5k loop around the eastern part of the island as shown in the map below.
After a short warm up on what felt like dead legs, it was time for the start of the parkrun.
This starts about 100m from the finish line at a small little road junction. There is a memorial here dedicated to the memory of the late John Walsh who was instrumental in establishing the parkrun on the island.
The roads here are really narrow so if you're running at a reasonably fast pace then you need to be near the front.
The time duly arrived and we were off! The Bere Island parkrun has a reputation as a very hilly parkrun and after an initial flat start, we were straight into a climb in the first km.
I knew in advance that there was an early first hill so I was expecting it but in reality, it wasn't that bad. I was expecting some soul destroying climbs out along the course but I fond them all to be pretty modest. Yes, they slow you down but nothing like you'd feel like you'd be tempted to walk.
The photo above shows just part of the course and the views. It really is a stunning spot with the mountains and Hungry Hill on one side and Bantry Bay and the Sheeps Head peninsula on the other.
Some might wonder why is this parkrun on public roads while virtually all the rest are in public parks or on walkways? The reality is there is virtually no traffic on these roads on a Saturday morning and the whole island is like a giant park. Other than the marshals at the various junctions, the only activity we saw along the course was people sitting outside their houses watching the weekly parkrun pass by.
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| Grellan finishing the parkrun |
In the end, I finished 11th out of 165 finishers in a time of 23m 07s and it was exactly the same time I did for the Tramore Valley Park parkrun in Cork City the previous week. This suggests to me that the Bere Island parkrun isn't as hilly or as hard as some people say it is.
In terms of difficulty, I'd probably put it on a par with the Glen River parkrun on the northside of Cork City with the hill that you have to do twice. The hill in the Glen is certainly steeper but it's also shorter.
Before I did the Bere Island parkrun, I wasn't sure but I think I'd have to give the title of the hardest 5k parkrun in Co Cork to the event in Castlehaven. The title for the most scenic parkrun goes to Bere Island hands down.
After coffee and scones in Rerrin, it was back on the 11am ferry to the mainland.
Then began the long cycle home into an easterly headwind towards Cork City on the same roads we came down the previous day.
Eventually after starting the day with a 5k parkrun on Bere Island, I finally arrived home at about 8pm in the evening... a long long day.
The Strava app showed I cycled 129.6kms / 81-miles for the day, In total, it was about 271kms / 167-miles for the two days combined.
Final thoughts...
Looking back at it, it still seems surreal that we actually cycled all the way to the Castletownbere and Bere Island for a 5k parkrun.
If I ever got the notion to do it again, the sheer distance would intimidate me again. It's a long drive from Cork City to Castletownbere let alone doing it on a bike.
It was a great challenge to do but it was certainly a tough one. It probably helped mentally to break the journey up into stages and not think too much about the overall length.
The key though is pace. If the pace is modest, you can go for ages. If anyone ever gets the notion to try a duathlon of sorts to Bere Island then leave early and take your time.
Whatever you do, don't try to keep up with the former winner of the Connemara 100-mile! 😂😂
