By night, when runners cover the isolated Iveragh Peninsula, the views are equally stunning.

BBC: A finish line few will cross

Further north along the southwestern coast are the Skelligs, two islands that poke dramatically skywards out of the flinty waters of the Atlantic Ocean, nearly 12km off the Iveragh Peninsula in County Kerry.

BBC: Ireland��s outlying islands

Recently designated a Dark Sky Reserve for its lack of light pollution and the exceptional quality of its night sky, Iveragh is one of only seven such reserves in the world and the first in the northern hemisphere to get gold-tier status, the highest possible grading issued by the International Dark-Sky Association.

BBC: A finish line few will cross