Loughsninny And Rush Are Among A Series Of Small...

Loughsninny, Ireland

Loughsninny and Rush are among a series of small coastal towns located in the Fingal region north of Dublin, serviced by the main highway to Belfast as well as by dependable commuter train service. Rush's main running attraction is the "strand". Remember the opening scene in "Chariots of Fire"? Well, this beach goes on forever, just like the one in the movie. At low tide, the distance from land to water is about 800m, and one can run a good 3k or more in one direction before having to turn around. If you want to lengthen the run, ask the locals to direct you to the road to Loughshinny, which is about 3k to the north. Take a right turn at the Galleon, heading back down to the beach. The beach at Loughshinny Harbour is too small for more than 100m strides, but the scene is right out of "Local Hero", another great flick. And if you switch to walking (and have sturdy shoes and tights or sweat pants), you can hike out onto the cliffs that shelter the Harbour on the south side. The roads in Fingal are generally okay for running and can be quite scenic. But if you're on one of the main roads (such as the one from Rush to Loughshinny), avoid areas that do not have sidewalks (for example, do not try to run from Loughshinny to Skerries, the next town north: it's very busy and has long stretches without a footpath). Public facilities are located in the downtown part of Rush. Pubs also are generally tolerant to runners and other interlopers. Finally, this is an excellent part of the country in which to stay. It's cheaper and more scenic than Dublin, but can be reached easily by bus or train. Also, it's great hopping off point for tourist sites in the northeast of Ireland.