Moire O’Sullivan

Moire is a mountain runner, adventure racer, an author and a mum. Her company, Happy Out Adventures, brings people on trails and mountain slopes, teaching them to travel in the outdoors happily and safely.

Running through the forests in the Wicklow Mountains during the Quest Glendalough Adventure Race 2017.

In between having her children, Moire won Ireland’s National Adventure Racing Series in 2014, 2016 and 2017.

Moire was the first person to complete the Wicklow Round back in 2009, an endurance run spanning a hundred kilometres over twenty-six of Ireland’s remotest mountain peaks. In January 2020, she also completed a winter Denis Rankin Round, a similar challenge to summit all the peaks in the Mourne Mountains.

The Hound from Hanoi – The Vietnamese Dog who Built a Family (April 2020)

Tom is on the menu at a dog-eating restaurant in Hanoi when he is rescued by an Irish couple escaping economic woes back home. The three embark on a whirlwind tour of Vietnam, Nepal and Cambodia, determined to stay together against the odds.

In this poignant tribute to her late husband Pete, Moire O’Sullivan recalls how their devotion to Tom helped forge a love between them that will last for ever.

Available to pre-order from Amazon.

Bump, Bike and Baby – Mummy’s Gone Adventure Racing (2018)

Longlisted for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year 2018

Moire O’Sullivan is a carefree mountain runner with zero interest in children. Unfortunately, she has promised her husband they’ll start a family. Can she maintain her sanity when faced with baby massage classes and travel-buggy systems? Can she win Ireland’s National Adventure Race Series and still learn to become a loving (and occasionally functioning) mummy?

“A honest, humorous and insightful account into the challenges of bringing children into the world while continuing to live the life of an athlete. A must-read for mums who run.” Sonia O’Sullivan, Olympic medallist.

“A winning journey through pregnancy, motherhood and mountains. You can’t stop until you get to the end.” Jasmin Paris, Champion Fell Runner.

Available to buy from Amazon and all good bookshops.

Read the reviews from the recent blog tour here.

Mud, Sweat and Tears – An Irish Woman’s Journey of Self-Discovery (2011)

In July 2008, Moire O’Sullivan made a solo attempt on the Wicklow Round, a gruelling endurance run spanning a hundred kilometres over twenty six of Ireland’s remotest mountain peaks. After twenty one and a half hours she collapsed, two summits from the end. Battered and bruised, yet undeterred, she returned a year later to become the first person ever to complete the Round in less than twenty four hours.“Mud, Sweat, and Tears” is the first book to tell one woman’s story about her passion for mountain running, a passion that has brought her to the heights of some of Ireland’s most impressive mountains and to the depths of her own human limitations.

“Inspiring stuff: an awe-inspiring tale of guts, passion and pig-headed refusal to surrender.” Richard Askwith, Author of Feet in the Clouds.

Read the Reviews here from: Walking and Hiking in Ireland, Trail Running Nepal, and Inspiring Sports Women.

Available to buy from Amazon.

Aid Work Abroad

Previously, Moire worked for international aid agencies throughout Africa and South-East Asia. She has run in various places throughout the world, including Australia, Bali, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Hong Kong, Kenya, Laos, Myanmar / Burma, Nepal, New Zealand, Spain, Singapore, South Korea, Tanzania, Thailand, USA, and Vietnam. Though she tried to run in Afghanistan, security staff forbid it.

She now lives in Rostrevor, Northern Ireland, at the foot of the Mourne Mountains.

If you wish to get in touch, just fill in the contact form below:

Recent Posts

A Winter Denis Rankin Round to Remember

I knew I wanted to do something meaningful to mark one year on from my husband’s tragic passing, something that spoke of the horror of depression and the terrible consequences of suicide. I also wanted to do something that offered hope, that showed a way forward even in the midst of such suffering. Within mountain-running … Continue reading A Winter Denis Rankin Round to Remember

Blown away by the 2018 Mourne Mountain Marathon

‘800 grams?’ I asked. ‘Are you sure it’s 800 grams?’ Paul messaged me back, confirming its weight. His proposed tent for our Mourne Mountain Marathon race indeed weighed less than a kilo. My laser competition tent that we used last year was 1.2 kg, and that was considered super-light. But no, Paul wanted to shave … Continue reading Blown away by the 2018 Mourne Mountain Marathon

Finding True Adventure at Quest24 Adventure Race

This year, I have been looking for new adventures. And Quest24 delivered this, and more, last weekend. For the past five years, I’ve been doing one-day adventure races around Ireland and the UK. By the end of last year, however, I realised that the ‘racing’ part was taking over, in a stressful, competitive way. The … Continue reading Finding True Adventure at Quest24 Adventure Race

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