Notice: Skibbereen 10-mile & 5-mile road races - Sun 8th February 2026

Skibbereen AC are holding their annual 10-mile road race in west Cork on Sunday the 8th of February 2026. There is also a 5-mile option for anyone preferring a shorter distance.

This is very much a traditional type of road race with loads of refreshments afterwards (i.e. tea, coffee, sandwiches, cakes, etc) and there are hot showers in the GAA club changing rooms.

Proceeds from both races go towards the Palliative Care Services in Skibbereen Community Hospital and St Patrick's BNS classes for children with autism.

Entries HERE

Registrations will also be taken on the day at the O Donovan Rossa GAA pavilion from 10:30am onwards. The entry fee for the 10 mile is 25 Euros while the entry fee for the 5 Mile run is 20 Euros.

The 10 Mile race will get underway at 1pm with the 5 Mile Run starting at 1:15pm.

Results of the Run Skibb Half-Marathon & 10k - Sun 13th July 2025

The Run Skibb Half-Marathon & 10k was held this year on Sunday 13th of July 2025 on what was a dry but very warm day.

This was the second year of this event and the numbers were up for both races. The Half increased by 19% while the 10k went up 13%.

Half Marathon - Top 3 men & women...
1 30-39 Sean Dinneen (#319) 1:17:12
2 30-39 Nathan Ryan O'Hehir (#219) 1:17:45 
3 30-39 Padraig Sheehan (#249) 1:18:56
1 40-49 Karen Walsh (#359) 1:29:45
2 50+ Breda Gaffney (#336) 1:32:46
3 30-39 Rachel Goggin (#205) 1:33:12

Half results... https://www.sportsplits.com/races/runskib-2025/events/1/

10k - Top 3 men & women...
1 30-39 Eddie O'Connell (#1205) 36:45
2 40-49 Michael Dullea (#1281) 37:11
3 40-49 Conor O'Leary (#1385) 37:22
1 30-39 Hannah Steeds (#1380) 37:27
2 30-39 Hazel White (#1244) 45:04
3 50+ Anna O'Neill (#1292) 47:05

10k results... https://www.sportsplits.com/races/runskib-2025/events/2/

Photos...

1) The organisers have some photos HERE and HERE 

Results of the Skibbereen 5m & 10m road races - Sun 9th Feb 2025

The annual Noreen McCarthy Memorial 10-mile and 5-mile road races were held in Skibbereen in west Cork on Sunday 9th Feb 2025 on what was a dry cold day.

This event was traditionally held in November every year but the organisers decided to move it to the spring time to see how it would get on. The numbers for the 10-mile jumped 27% this year but while this sounds impressive, it's still in the ballpark of other years.

The 5-mile numbers however have been transformed with the Spring 2025 edition more than double that of the previous event in November 2023. Going just off the results for the 5-mile race alone, it looks as if the move to a spring date was a success.

10-mile... Top 3 men & women

1 Danny Mullins Bantry AC 54:28 MS 1093
2 Simon Nolan Bandon AC 55:40 MS 1199
3 Justin Ryan West Waterford AC 56:41 MS 1185
7 Clara Ryan St Finbarrs AC 1:02:53 FS 1183
9 Julie O'Brien Durrus AC  1:03:55 F40 1098
21 Sinead O'Regan Courcey AC 1:12:32 F45 1172

Full results HERE

5-mile... Top 3 men & women

1 Michael Dullea Drimoleague     27:57 M45 89
2 Brendan Walsh Cork     29:53 MS 316
3 Enda Fitzmaurice Durrus     30:02 M45 411
12 Anna O'Neill Doheny AC     35:01 F55 292
17 Emma O'Sullivan Skibbereen     35:41 FS 388
28 Alice O'Driscoll Castletownsend     36:47 SF 366

Full results HERE

Photos... (Updated Tues 11th Feb)

1) Garry Minihane has a short video HERE

Garry also has two albums... Album 1 ... Album 2 ...

2) Skibbereen AC have some photos of the start of the 5-mile race HERE ...and of the 10-mile race HERE 

Finish line photos HERE and HERE

Well done to visually impaired runner Ross Gallagher who managed to get a 5-mile personal best time at the Skibbereen 5m today (also a shout out to Meave Quinlan who was the guide runner!)

5 Meave Quinlan Dunmanway     46:28 FS 299
96 Ross Gallagher Dunmanway     46:28 MS 99

Second public consultation for Greenway in the Skibbereen area - July 2024

There are a number of Greenway projects planned for County Cork and one of these is in West Cork taking in the towns of Skibbereen, Drimoleague, Baltimore & Schull.

In February of 2024, an initial public consultation was carried out and the project area is shown below.

This was more about getting feedback on the proposed Greenway project without going into too much detail about the specific route.

Here are some of the key points from the first public survey...

A. Distances - Skibbereen to Baltimore (13km) - Skibbereen to Schull (23km) - Skibbereen to Drimoleague (13km)

B. There were 644 submissions of which 63% were women.

C. Feedback was very positive and 96% expressed an interest in using the Greenway.

D. Road safety and traffic levels was mentioned as a reason for using a Greenway in about 50% of the submissions.

E. A Greenway from Skibbereen to Schull and Baltimore are the most popular options with fewer choosing the link to Drimoleague.

The second public consultation is open until Friday 26th of July 2024.

The route choices have now been narrowed down as can be seen from the map below.

If you are interested in making a submission or want to look at the documents for the project then go to https://wcgskibbereen.ie/publications/

These Greenway projects tend to move at a glacial pace but the end result show be safer areas to run and train. This is especially true in or near towns where a lot of roads are like rat runs for cars and can be unsafe.

I had a look at satellite images for the area concerned and the old railway route is now largely gone. It's not like the case in East Cork where the track of the old railway line from Midleton to Youghal was largely intact. 

It's very likely all of these Greenway projects will link up and it will hopefully be possible to go from Cork City to Schull without using a public road.

A full timeline for the Skibbereen project is shown below...

Results & Photos of the Skibbereen 10-mile & 5-mile road race - Sun 20th Nov 2022

Danny Mullins (#820) wins the 2022 Skibbereen 10-mile road race in 56m 04s

The Skibbereen 10-mile & 5-mile road race was held on Sunday the 20th of November 2022. A total of 156 runners took part with 72 in the 10-mile and 84 in the 5-mile. The races were organised by Skibbereen AC.

Most of the races in 2022 have had numbers which were well down on their 2019 editions. The Skibbereen races in contrast were up an impressive 42%. The numbers at races in West Cork have declined a lot over the last decade so it's good to see one growing.

Top 3 men & women in the 10-mile...
1 Danny Mullins Bantry     56:04 SM 820
2 Justin Ryan Tried and Tested Tri Club     56:48 SM 831
3 John Collins Cork Track Club     57:06 SM 874
9 Clara Ryan St Finbarrs AC   1:04:49 SF 830
11 Nollaigh O'Neill Leevale   1:05:16 SF 826
16 Linda O Connor Forest Hill   1:06:13 SF 868

Full 10m results HERE

Age category winners 
M40 Kevin Wilmot Bandon AC 58:06 still running good 
M45 John O Donnell Clonakilty RRAC 1:04:29 good running 
M50 Patrick McCarthy Drimoleague 1:05:11 still running good 
M55 Denis Kelleher Midelton 1:13:43 fantastic running we think Denis been with us a few times before 
M60 Frank Lingwood sanctuary runners 1:44:41 good man Frank 
Junior Men Mabcus Adams (Marcus) skibbereen 1:30:08 

Women...????

Top 3 men & women in the 5-mile...
1 Killian Lynch West Limerick AC  27:10 SM 381
2 Fergus Nugent Eagles AC  27:47 SM 421
3 Darragh Mulcahy St Finbarrs AC 28:21 SM 420
7 Jean Lucey Macroom     32:19 SF 348
15 Orla Hayes Leevale     34:26 SF 408
18 Ellen McCarthy Skibbereen 35:46 SF 384

Full 5m results HERE

Age categories - 5 mile
1st M40 Brian Harte Rosscarbery  35mins 
1st M45 Liam Limrick Rosscarbery  34:14 
1st M50 Joe Coffey Skibbereen 31:14 
1st M55 Donie Sullivan Killarney 48:08
1st M60 Gerard Hourihane Skibbereen 42:03 
1st JM James McCarthy Skibbereen 33:19 
1st F40 Shiela Lynch Skibbereen 43:43
1st F45 Claire O Donovan Skibbereen 40:21
1st F50 Sandra Lynch Crookstown 48:12 
1st F55 Mary O'Donovan Skibbereen 41:57 
1st F60 Rosemarie O'Mahoney Rosscarbery Steam Runners 56:26
1st JF Ciara Delaney Skibbereen AC 40:11 

Killian Lynch of Wes Limerick AC was first in the 5-mile race with a time of 27m 10s

Photos...

1) Garry Minihane has a number of nice galleries...

a) Album 1 b) Album 2 c) Album 3 d) Album 4

2) Skibbereen AC have some finish line photos HERE and HERE

(800 numbers are all ten milers & the 5 Milers are the lower numbers 300/400 range)

Skibbereen race numbers drop 40%...

For many years, there was a 10km road race held in Skibbereen in West Cork but the numbers were very poor. In 2018, a new 10 miler was launched with a 5 mile race as well at the same time and it seemed to do moderately well for its first year. This year however, the overall numbers have collapsed by 40%.

The poor weather obviously wouldn't have helped but that doesn't account for such a large drop.

The races in West Cork are a bit of a mixed bag in recent years. Some do pretty well but others have dwindled away.

The 2019 Skibbereen 5 mile results are HERE

The 2019 Skibbereen 10 mile results are HERE

Notice...RNLI Reindeer Run...Fota 27th Nov 2016

This one might be of interest to anyone with young families or want to take part in a fun event while helping out the RNLI. There is a 5km Reindeer Run in Liss Ard Estate near Skibbereen on Sunday the 20th of November and another one on the grounds of Fota House on Sunday the 27th of November.

Entries......


Sun 27th Nov ...
1k Santa Saunter 10.30am
10K – 11am
5k – noon

...Fota Estate...Click HERE

From the RNLI......All abilities and ages are catered for with participants choosing from a 5km or 10km walk/run or a shorter Santa Saunter.  Registration is now open online at rnli.org/reindeer and costs €20 for the 5K and €22 for the 10K. Children’s tickets are €15. All participants in the 5K and 10K will receive an RNLI Reindeer Run t-shirt and a pair of antlers.

Key facts about the RNLI.....The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the Ireland and the UK. The RNLI operates over 230 lifeboat stations with 44 in Ireland. The RNLI is independent of the Coast Guard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824 its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 137,000 lives. The RNLI is a charity registered in England, Scotland and the Republic of Ireland.

Charity number CHY 2678 in the Republic of Ireland and registered in England and Wales (209603) and Scotland (SCO37736)

Additional Info...This is the approx route for the event in Fota.

While the route isn't the exact same of the Rebel Run4Fun 5k which was held there last year, much of it is the same. You can see some photos of that route HERE which should give you a good idea of what it's like.

For more info on Liss Ard Estate, go to http://www.lissardestate.com/

Have a look at the 'Directions' tab and also at the photos of the garden in the 'Gallery'.

Ongoing numbers for the Glengarriff and Castlehaven parkruns

Following on from the post about the second anniversary of the Bere Island parkrun, I had a look at the numbers for the other two parkruns in West Cork...Glengarriff and Castlehaven. Both began in January of 2016 and the numbers are shown below.

Glengarriff 5k parkrun...

As you can see from the chart above, it started off with the usual surge that accompanies most new parkruns but it took quite a while for the numbers to drop off. In June, they were pretty poor before recovering somewhat during the tourist season in August.

I'm not exactly sure why the numbers were reasonable in March & April and so poor in June when the weather might be a bit nicer?

As the winter approaches, it'll be even more challenging for the numbers to hold up. One of the issues with Glengarriff is that it is pretty remote. The local population of Glengarriff is only about 800 and the nearest large town is Bantry (pop 3300) which is a 20 min drive away. Add in a return trip and that's 40 mins of driving for a 5k run.

Castlehaven 5k parkrun...

The numbers in Castlehaven have been more consistent than Glengarriff and this is probably due to the fact that it is only a 10 minute drive from the town of Skibbereen (pop 2500). It has been averaging about 40-50 per week for the last few weeks and shows no sign of dropping.

This was set up by a local GAA club so that may well be another source of local support.

If you are thinking of trying a new parkrun then both these ones are pretty nice. They are set in woodland and are worth the trip especially if it's a nice sunny day.

Results of the Skibbereen 10k road race...Sun 21st Aug 2016

A total of 66 runners turned out for this years Skibbereen 10k road race on Sunday the 21st Aug 2016. This represents a drop of 44% on the number for 2015. As you can seen from the chart above, it was also down on previous wet years.

1    0:32:53    O'SHEA, Alan    Bantry AC    M    05:17.4   
2    0:34:08    COLLINS, John    Skibbereen AC    M    05:29.5
3    0:36:49    SHEEHAN, Padraig    Clonakilty RR AC    M    05:55.4   
8    0:40:15    MACKEOWN, Rosaleen    Leevale AC    F40    06:28.5   
11    0:42:00    BARRY, Ronnie    Bandon AC    F40    06:45.4
14    0:42:49    COUGHLAN, Aoife    unatt/Skibbereen    F    06:53.3    

The full results can be seen HERE

Notice...RNLI Reindeer Run...Skibbereen 22nd Nov & Fota 29th Nov 2015

This one might be of interest to anyone with young families or want to take part in a fun event while helping out the RNLI. There is a 5km Reindeer Run in Liss Ard Estate near Skibbereen on Sunday the 22nd of November and another one on the grounds of Fota House on Sunday the 29th of November.

Update...The rescheduled Reindeer Run in Fota will take place on Sunday the 24th of January 2016.

Entries......

Sun 22nd Nov...5k @11am / 10k @12 noon...Liss Ard Estate, Skibbereen...Click HERE

Sun 29th Nov ...5k @11am / 10k @12 noon...Fota Estate...Click HERE

From the RNLI......World champion Derval O’Rourke launches two RNLI Reindeer Runs in Cork 

The RNLI, the charity that saves lives at sea, has joined forces with World champion and European sprint hurdle medalist Derval O’Rourke to launch two RNLI Reindeer Runs in County Cork.

RNLI crew members Stephen Hurley from Union Hall RNLI, Liam Harty from Helvick Head RNLI, Martin Morris from Youghal RNLI and Shane Hurley from Union Hall RNLI (front) pictured with World champion Derval O’Rourke at the launch of the RNLI Reindeer Runs which will take place in Fota House and Gardens and Liss Ard Estate.

The three time Olympian athlete and author joined volunteer lifeboat crew from Cork to kick-start the festivities for the upcoming reindeer runs which will take place later this month. The events will be held at Liss Ard Estate in Skibbereen on Sunday 22 November and Fota House and Gardens outside Cobh on Sunday 29 November.

Due to the popularity of the reindeer run at Fota House which is now in its fourth year, the charity has introduced an extra venue at Liss Ard Estate. The stunning 200-acre site in West Cork is located close to the RNLI’s newest lifeboat station at Union Hall which was established on a trial basis in September last year.

Derval was joined by Union Hall RNLI crew members and Castlehaven GAA brothers Shane and Stephen Hurley, Helvick Head RNLI crew member Liam Harty and Youghal RNLI crew member Martin Morris.

Born and raised in County Cork where the RNLI has eight lifeboat stations, RNLI supporter Derval, is familiar with the charity’s lifesaving work: ‘Living in Cork, I am all too aware of the search and rescue work the RNLI carries out around the coast and of the commitment of its lifeboat crews who dedicate themselves to regular training and to responding to their pagers at any time of the day or night.

‘Having experienced the festive spirit at an RNLI reindeer run for the first time last year, I am delighted to see that the event is going from strength to strength and that the RNLI has introduced an additional venue for West Cork. These events are a great way for us to build in some exercise into what can be a hectic season while showing our support for our lifeboat crews as they continue to save lives at sea.’

Looking forward to the first reindeer run at Liss Ard Estate which begins at 10.30am, Stephen Hurley from Union Hall RNLI said: ‘We have had a busy first year in Union Hall and have been overwhelmed by the goodwill shown by the people of West Cork and much further afield.

‘Last year, RNLI lifeboats in Cork launched 163 times, bringing 218 people to safety. While the figures show that our lifeboat crews are busy all year round, some of our most challenging call outs will occur over the winter months. However, having the support of people who so generously fundraise and sign up to take part in events such as the reindeer run, means that we can avail of first class training and equipment and be ready to answer the call and help someone in need when our pagers go off.’ 

The second reindeer run in Cork takes place on Sunday, 29 November at Fota House and Gardens, starting at 10.30am.
 
All abilities and ages are catered for with participants choosing from a 5km or 10km walk/run or a shorter Santa Saunter.  Registration is now open online at rnli.org/reindeer and costs €20 for the 5K and €22 for the 10K. Children’s tickets are €10 and a family ticket (two adults and two children) is €55. All participants in the 5K and 10K will receive an RNLI Reindeer Run t-shirt, a pair of antlers and a car sticker.

Key facts about the RNLI.....The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the Ireland and the UK. The RNLI operates over 230 lifeboat stations with 44 in Ireland. The RNLI is independent of the Coast Guard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824 its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 137,000 lives. The RNLI is a charity registered in England, Scotland and the Republic of Ireland.

Charity number CHY 2678 in the Republic of Ireland and registered in England and Wales (209603) and Scotland (SCO37736)

Additional Info...This is the approx route for the event in Fota.

 While the route isn't the exact same of the Rebel Run4Fun 5k which was held there last August, much of it is the same. You can see some photos of that route HERE which should give you a good idea of what it's like.

For more info on Liss Ard Estate, go to http://www.lissardestate.com/

Have a look at the 'Directions' tab and also at the photos of the garden in the 'Gallery'.

Results of the Skibbereen 10k road race...Sun 23rd Aug 2015

After the rain of 2014, the weather conditions were a lot kinder on Sunday for this years Skibbereen 10k in West Cork.

1 34:37    O'SHEA, Alex    St. Finbarrs AC    M40    05:34.1
2 35:16    COLLINS, John    Skibbereen AC    M    05:40.4
3 36:40    COAKLEY, Michael    Skibbereen AC    M    05:53.9
18 42:05    MOORE, Niamh    UCC AC    F    06:46.2
30 44:06    RYAN, Clara    unatt/Skibbereen    F    07:05.7
33 45:11    HURLEY, Maria    Bantry AC    F50    07:16.2 

The full results can be seen HERE

Photos...(Face account required to view)
1) Pauline Hennessy has a gallery HERE

Photos...
1) Skibbereen AC have a gallery of photos HERE 

Notice...Skibbereen 10k road race - Sun 24th Aug 2014

This 10k road race in Skibbereen in West Cork is coming up on Sunday the 24th of August 2014 at 1pm.

The race is being organised by Skibbereen Athletic Club. Their website is http://www.skibbac.com/

More info from the organisers...Details on Skibbereen Athletic Club 10K Road Race and Walk on Sunday 24th Aug 2014.

Open to all athletes....Prizes Gents and Ladies first 3 overall....1st over 40/ 45/50/55/60 Men, Women and Wheelchair....Age categories for juvenile race are boys and girls u12, u14 and u16....Also 1st junior (up to u20) Male and Female.

Fast 10k course....Accurately measured by Jones Counter with an AAI permit.

Start time 1.00 pm Sharp on the Marsh Road....1 Mile juvenile Race starting at 12 noon.

Entry Fee: Run 15 euro, Walk 10 euro.

Entries will be taken from 11.00 am on the morning of the race....Pre Race Registration and changing facilities at O’ Donovan Rossa GAA grounds....Refreshments and prizegiving will be given in O’Donovan Rossa GAA pavilion after the race.

Inquiries to John Collins 087-7699587.

Overall Winner will receive the Noreen McCarthy perpetual memorial cup....Over 1000 euro in prize money.

This is one of the few 10k road races in West Cork and it should be of interest to a lot of runners...

Course Preview........The 10k course is mainly in a loop to the north of Skibbereen although there is a short piece through the town itself as well. A full preview with maps, directions, photos, etc can be seen HERE

Results of the Skibbereen 10k road race...Sun 29th Sept 2013

A total of 83 people took part in this 10k race in West Cork.

1st    33.06    Alan O'Shea    Senior    Bantry AC
2nd    34.08    Mark O'Sullivan    Senior    Bandon AC
3rd    34.1    John Collins    Senior    Skibbereen AC
11th    57.54    Carmel Crowley    F45    Bandon AC
19th    40.14    Anna O'Neill    F45   
25th    44.14    Deirdre Harrington    F40

The full results can be seen HERE

Results of the Skibbereen 10k road race...Sun 30th Sept 2012

The mens race was won by George Waugh of Bandon AC. George also won the 5k race in Rosscarbery the previous day!

    Place    Time    Name    Team    Race Age Category    min/mile       
    1    0:33:27    WAUGH, George    Bandon AC    M    05:22.9    279    1
    2    0:33:40    MURPHY, Cian    Iveragh AC    M    05:25.0    322    2
    3    0:36:42    PATTERSON, Robert    St. Finbarrs AC    M    05:54.3    329    3
   14    0:41:02    O'NEILL, Anna    Doheny AC    F40    06:36.1    244    14
   15    0:41:13    HAYES, Orla    unatt/Skibbereen    F    06:37.9    209    15
   31    0:42:48    O'NEILL, Eadaoin    East Cork AC    F    06:53.1    262    31

The full results can be seen HERE

Results of the Skibbereen 5 mile race...Sun 4th Sept 2011

It was a clean sweep for Bandon AC in this 5 mile race in Skibbereen in West Cork with Kevin Wilmot winning the mens race and Carmel Crowley winning the womens. A total of 73 people took part.

Full results HERE

Photos by John O'Driscoll HERE