Killarney runner completes Wild Atlantic way challenge

Killarney endurance runner Seanie Clifford has completed one of the toughest tests ever attempted on Irish soil by running the entire 2,700km length of the Wild Atlantic Way.

Clifford is an ultra-runner, mountain guide and retreat organiser based in Killarney. Through retreats in Ireland and France he combines hiking, running, yoga and healthy food. “The most rewarding feeling is when people leave having stepped outside their comfort zone,” he says.

His Wild Atlantic Way run covered the equivalent of more than 64 marathons back-to-back, cementing his place among Ireland’s top endurance athletes while highlighting the importance of mental health, community and resilience.

Donegal start 

He began in Muff, Co. Donegal, on August 7 and arrived in Kinsale, Co. Cork, 30 days later, beating his own self-imposed deadline by hours.
The route included more than 27,000 metres of climbing and an average of 90–100 kilometres per day. Clifford’s final time was 29 days, 15 hours and 5 minutes.
Clifford, known locally as “Seanie Runner”, undertook the challenge to raise awareness of mental health and the benefits of outdoor activity.

Despite meticulous planning, Clifford hit his lowest point in Kerry on day 21 near Cahersiveen. Severe sickness left him barely able to move. His partner Alicia said: “Any normal person would have stopped. But Sean kept going, covering 70km days in that condition.”

Local support proved vital. Members of the Kerry Way Ultra community gave him food, rest and encouragement. In Waterville, a festival organiser offered shelter on one of his darkest nights. These small gestures kept the challenge alive.

Kinsale finish 

Recovery brought new tests. Crossing the Conor Pass and into Slea Head, Clifford faced storm-force winds. Fellow runners Ailis Brosnan and Niall Foley joined him for parts of the route. Brosnan called it “a quiet kind of legendary”. Foley, who is filming a documentary of the challenge, described Clifford as “a man possessed”.

By the end of the Kerry stages, Clifford had turned his suffering into momentum, showing how local roads can both break and build endurance athletes.
Clifford crossed the Kinsale finish line with just hours to spare before his 30-day deadline. He had promised to return to Kerry to help at the Kerry Way Ultra race – and two days later he was back, volunteering at the event.

Like polar explorer Tom Crean, Clifford showed that greatness can come from ordinary people prepared to go beyond their limits. “People think it’s about running,” he said. “But really, it’s about people. Kerry showed me that. I was broken here, but I was carried home too.”

Due to phenomenal demand, Picture This have added an extra Killarney date to their Home for Christmas tour.

The band will now perform at the Gleneagle Arena on Saturday, 20 December 2025, in addition to their previously announced run of sold-out arena shows.
The band’s stage production features a pub, its garden and a car park, combining the atmosphere of a lock-in with the intimacy of a trad session while showcasing songs from their four albums.
The announcement comes on the back of their new single Heart over Head, a collaboration with German artist Joris and a reworking of his hit Herz über Kopf. The track blends Picture This’s anthemic sound with Joris’ folk-pop style. The accompanying video, filmed in Dublin, has just been released.
Since forming in 2015, Picture This have sold out arenas at home and abroad and built a global fanbase.
Tickets, priced at €67.70/€72.70 plus Ticketmaster service charge (max €10.50), are on sale now at ticketmaster.ie