The Running Scene

I'm excited about the opportunities for running here in Dublin! Phoenix Park is the largest urban enclosed park in Europe, containing 1,760 acres--more than twice the size of New York City's Central Park. There are running groups that meet there on Saturday mornings (at 10am...again, things get started much later than my usual running group at 7am in Austin). IrishFit appears to be a great running club, coached by an Irishman who completed the Utraman World Championships in Hawaii (a triathlon that consists of 6.2mile swim, 261.4mile Bike, 52.4mile run). There is the IrishFit Social Network, which is a forum for people of similar interests to network, exchange ideas, plan running groups, etc.
The adidas Dublin Marathon is on the last Monday of October each year, going through the historic Georgian streets of Dublin. It has earned the reputation of being "The Friendly Marathon" due to the Irish hospitality (Dublin was rated the most friendly capital city in Europe in 2007). There is a half marathon race, the Mooathlon, at the end of September, and a woman's mini-marathon in June, in addition to other smaller races throughout the year.
I have enjoyed mapping out routes to run on my own, using Google's gmaps pedometer. It's a great way to explore the beautiful parks, neighborhoods, historical places, coastal areas, etc. on cool mornings before the crowds come out.