Ballymount parkrun | New parkrun Bounce

Introduction

As you make your way to Ballymount parkrun you will enter Newlands park Crematorium and Cemetery. Julie and I have run opposite a cemetery before in Oranmore. What we didn’t think about in Oranmore back then was the spectre of fatal road traffic accidents. In my mind if you shrank down the last two weeks of August 2026 you could have gone to Ballymount parkrun to understand exactly what is at stake for Irish society. On Sunday August 16th five youths stole a car and drove it the wrong way down the M9 motorway crashed and seriously injured three women and a young. The fact the youths died during this wreckless behaviour garnered almost no public sympathy. The Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan later told the media in reference to driving the wrong way down the motorway “that you'll end up in jail, or you'll end up in a grave.” In a sense the entrance Ballymount became almost the perfect metaphor for the crossroads every youth faces as they come of age turn right and there is a parkrun full of enthusiastic people who want to see you do well in a long prosperous life or turn left make bad choices and you end up in the graveyard early. The reality of course is that this is not a perfect metaphor nor is this life all simple left and right choices. Invariably your family and friends influence you profoundly. The environment you are born into influencesy help shape your future in ways we as a society are only beginning to understand and act on. I found the cross roads at Ballymount parkrun pulled me towards the positivity of a parkrun lifestyle once again. Could it have been different for me? Yes it could have. At least three of classmates have now passed away, two of them in road traffic accidents before they turned 18. More than one of my team mates from my days in GAA have been to jail. Ballymount parkrun was a real reminder the choices I make become my reality but equally my opportunities played a very positive part.

Journey around the parkrun World

Julie and I have had the pleasure running, walking or jogging around 50 different parkruns and level Dublin finished again.

Course Map

Course Video

Stroller safe?

I took the out and about buggy for this parkrun. Clara and Edward had the best seats in the house under the rain cover. Edward roared Go, Go, Go as we passed the swans. He also caught site of a Luas which travels within 10 meters of the parkrun course. The Luas is fenced off but Edward is a long time fan of all public transport. A parkrun with a Luas adjacent is his idea of heaven. Clara perhaps more sensibly took a nap. The course is two loops completely on tarmac and I had no problems navigating it. The path can be narrow at times but nothing that the application of common sense won’t manage.

Live a Little

Revisit Trainspotting before you consider this parkrun and then choose the life this parkrun offers. You’ll surrounded with the best of life as you run, walk or jog around Ballymount.

Volunteers

Ballymount had an extraordinary energy about it. I could feel the new parkrun bounce the second I arrived just after 9 am and I looked over to see the finish funnel already laid out and a pre parkrun volunteer huddle underway. The Run Director was making his debut as RD and he was brilliant even if he almost forgot his mother in law was a first timer. Jokes aside I sensed a real trust building in the Ballymount parkrun team. More than anything else in my time as Event Director at parkrun I tried to build a trust within the core. Of course I also went much further I kept adding core members and persuaded them to take the RD reigns. I of course knew that my ED was going to short and so I didn’t hold back I wanted people in the community to own their parkrun.

contact email ballymount@parkrun.com for parkrun

Conclusion

Ballymount parkrun has that new parkrun bounce flowing through it go and choose life.

Quote of the Week

You have a choice always