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sport · Sunday 30 August 2026 · TBA 
Lough Key Try-a-Tri
At Lough Key Forest Park · Lough Key Forest Park, Boyle, Co. Roscommon
At Lough Key Forest Park · Lough Key Forest Park, Boyle, Co. Roscommon
Lough Key Try-a-Tri is the beginner-friendly entry point to the annual Lough Key Triathlon, organised by Lough Key Triathlon Club and sanctioned through Triathlon Ireland. It suits anyone who has been meaning to try a triathlon but has not quite taken the plunge - the shortened swim distance brings the event within reach of regular swimmers, club cyclists and 5k runners who have never combined the three disciplines in a race. The setting helps: Lough Key Forest Park is one of the most scenic venues in the midlands, and the atmosphere at a try-a-tri is encouraging rather than competitive.
The Try-a-Tri format uses the shorter swim option - roughly 200m in the open water of Lough Key, with McDermott’s Castle rising from the lake as a backdrop. The swim is marshalled and monitored throughout. From transition you move onto a 23km cycle that loops the lough, running through stretches of forest before opening up with elevated views across the water. The run leg is approximately 5km through the wooded pathways of the park, following the lakeshore before turning inland and back. Lough Key Triathlon Club sets up a proper transition area, water stops along the course, and food afterwards. The club has been running this event for close to two decades, so the logistics are well-drilled. You will need a Triathlon Ireland one-day race licence if you do not hold an annual licence - these are available at registration. Entry is managed through the Triathlon Ireland race calendar at triathlonireland.com.
Boyle is on the N4 Dublin - Sligo road, about 170km north-west of Dublin and 35km south of Sligo town. The journey from Dublin takes around two hours by car. Lough Key Forest Park sits about 3km east of Boyle town centre on the R361 - the entrance is well signposted. There is ample car parking inside the park. By public transport, Bus Eireann serves Boyle on the Dublin - Sligo route; from Boyle town the park is a short taxi ride or a manageable cycle if you have a bike with you.
Boyle is a quiet, unhurried market town with the ruins of a 12th-century Cistercian abbey and King House, a Georgian mansion that tells the story of the Connaught Rangers. A morning triathlon leaves the rest of the day free to walk the forest park trails, take a boat out on the lough, or sit with lunch in the park café overlooking the water. There is more to see in Boyle and across Co. Roscommon.
Heading to Lough Key Forest Park in Boyle? Roscommon has plenty more to see. Read the Boyle area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.