After the Longford Marathon: Dublin

The Route: Longford → Dublin Logistics: Direct Bus Éireann coach, approximately 1 hour 45 minutes, running regularly through the day. No change required. Marathon Month: August Duration: 1 night

Longford ──(1h45 direct coach)──> Dublin
                                       │
                          Longford ◄──(1h45 direct coach)──┘

Longford's marathon is a rural midlands race through three counties, flat and friendly but genuinely small-town; a night in Dublin afterward trades that pace for Ireland's capital, with museums, restaurants and an international airport all in one place. August in Dublin: the city runs at a steady summer pace, ahead of the September return of students and before the autumn festival calendar picks up, meaning main attractions are open full hours without peak-season queuing quite as severe as June or July. A direct Bus Éireann coach from Longford takes around 1 hour 45 minutes.

Night One: Dublin

Trinity College and the Book of Kells, in the city centre, are Dublin's best-known single attraction; the Old Library's Long Room is worth the visit alone, though the exhibition involves some standing and queuing best tackled without rushing on tired legs. Entry is approximately €18.50, and booking a timed slot in advance is worthwhile in August.

St Stephen's Green, a flat, well-maintained Victorian park in the city centre, offers an easy walking loop of roughly 1.5 km around its perimeter path, suitable for legs still recovering from a marathon two days earlier. The National Museum of Ireland – Archaeology, on Kildare Street, is free to enter and largely level, with the Bronze Age gold collection a genuine highlight not replicated anywhere else.

Where to stay: The Westbury Hotel, just off Grafton Street, puts a runner in the middle of the city centre's main shopping and dining streets. The Clayton Hotel Cardiff Lane, near the Grand Canal Dock, offers a quieter, more modern base a short walk or Luas ride from the centre.

Where to eat: Fade Street Social, near Grafton Street, offers a relaxed small-plates menu suited to a low-effort, shareable dinner. For a simpler night, the pubs around Temple Bar serve straightforward Irish stew and fish and chips, though Temple Bar itself is loud on weekend nights and better visited for food earlier in the evening.

Getting Home

Direct Bus Éireann coaches run from Dublin back to Longford throughout the day, taking around 1 hour 45 minutes; booking ahead online secures a lower fare than a walk-up ticket. Check current times at buseireann.ie. Dublin Airport, roughly 20–30 minutes from the city centre, offers by far the widest range of international connections for runners flying home from this leg of the trip rather than returning to Longford.