Cork: River Lee, Fitzgerald’s Park, University

The highlight of running in Cork is to combine the paths along the River Lee with the lovely Fitzgerald’s Park and a dip over to the campus of University College, Cork. Use our mapped route as a guideline — there are lots of add-ons and variations!

One can run west along the River Lee starting at Patrick’s Quay in the Victorian Quarter. Run on the north bank — the first 0.7 miles are on a sidewalk along the main road. Then, join the Banks of the Lee Walkway, and continue for 1/2 mile, cross the pedestrian Mardyke Bridge to the south bank, and enjoy the section of path through Fitzgerald’s Park. There’s a running track adjacent to the path at Mardyke Sports Ground. A path (some gravel, some paved) continues along the river for another 1.2 miles, through The Lee Fields.

Add-Ons: Additional paths in the beautifully landscaped gardens of Fitzgerald’s Park. Also, we recommend taking a running tour of the lovely campus of University College, Cork. To access from this route, use the path off Mardyke Walk. Another add-on is ~1 miles of paths along the Curragheen River. Access from Lee Fields.  Another good place to run in Cork is Glen River Park, site of weekly parkrun.