Having previously done the Castle Triathlon Bastion, I knew the sort of event atmosphere the crew try and create, and they didn't disappoint here. Set in the stunning Lough Cutra grounds with the castle as a impressive backdrop.

The swim is in the lovely Lough Cutra that the castle is named after, and is a fairly simple swim. You basically swim around a little island called Apple Island and then back to shore. The water is clean and has no nasty taste or muck in it, and although cold at this time of year is a real treat to swim in. As always there are plenty of marker buoys so navigation is never a problem. Getting into and out of the lough is a very easy affair with help from the Speedo crew.

The bike takes you through the Burren of West Ireland, and what a beatuiful part of the world, though you might not think that is the wind blows the wrong way. Some of the roads are not in great shape, but I was advised this is typical of West Ireland, though it is mainly just roughness, potholes are few and far between. The Gauntlet course takes in a lovely alpine style climb that gives stunning views over the bay, if you have time to look, you might even get some wild cheering whilst climbing if you are lucky. A tough course but with some great scenery through very quiet roads.

As per usual for the Castle Triathlon events, the run is a mainly trail run through the grounds of Lough Cutra, a mixture of tarmac, grass heatland and forest tracks. All good under foot and all the paths were in great condition. All the runs are multi lap affairs so you are always passing past the castle on each lap and with that the cheers from the thousands of spectators. The finish chute is right in front of the castle itself and is a fantastic place to finish a great event.

Highly recommended whether it is your first time, or you have done similar events. I will certainly be back again.