After the Great Limerick Run: Galway

The Route: Limerick → Galway Logistics: Direct Bus Éireann coach, approximately 1 hour 30 minutes, running regularly through the day. No change required. Marathon Month: May Duration: 1 night

Limerick ──(1h30 direct coach)──> Galway
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                        Limerick ◄──(1h30 direct coach)──┘

Limerick's marathon finishes on O'Connell Street after a flat, city-and-suburb course; a night in Galway afterward trades that urban pace for a smaller, more coastal city with a genuinely different character. May in Galway: the city sits ahead of its peak summer festival season, so Salthill and the Latin Quarter are lively without the July and August crowding, and the weather is typically drier than the depths of an Irish winter without yet being high summer's busiest stretch. A direct Bus Éireann coach from Limerick takes around 1 hour 30 minutes.

Night One: Galway

The Latin Quarter, Galway's compact medieval core around Quay Street and High Street, is flat, cobbled and dense with pubs, buskers and small independent shops; it rewards slow wandering rather than a fixed itinerary, appropriate for legs still recovering from a marathon. The Spanish Arch, on the edge of the Latin Quarter where the River Corrib meets Galway Bay, marks the natural end of a short old-town walk.

Salthill's promenade, a 15-minute walk or short bus ride from the city centre, is a flat, paved seafront path running roughly 3 km along Galway Bay, ending at the traditional "kick the wall" turning point locals use to mark the promenade's edge. At post-marathon pace, a there-and-back stretch takes 45 minutes to an hour, with sea views and benches throughout.

Where to stay: The Galmont Hotel & Spa, on the edge of the city centre with its own spa facilities, suits a runner wanting a proper recovery soak. The g Hotel, closer to the Latin Quarter, offers a more design-forward central base within easy walking distance of Quay Street.

Where to eat: Kai, on Sea Road, is Galway's best-known contemporary Irish restaurant, built around West of Ireland produce and a menu that changes with what's available; booking ahead is worthwhile. For a simpler night, the pubs along Quay Street serve straightforward seafood chowder and brown bread, a genuinely local, low-effort option after a long day.

Getting Home

Direct Bus Éireann coaches run from Galway back to Limerick throughout the day, taking around 1 hour 30 minutes; no booking is required for standard fares, though booking ahead online can secure a lower price on busier services. Check current times at buseireann.ie. Shannon Airport, the nearest airport to both cities, is roughly 1 hour from Galway and 25 minutes from Limerick, so runners flying out may prefer to route back through Limerick rather than direct from Galway.