Early Rock Climbing in Ireland

 The earliest record of a technical rock climb seems to be that of John Tyndall in 1860 when he climbed Eagle Rock (probably the Eagle's Nest) near Killarney. The climb was carried out against the advice of his guides who claimed it 'was impossible'.  He claims that: '... these guides and boatmen are fine, hardy fellows, and of great endurance, but they appear averse to trying their strength under new conditions', so these Kerrymen were unwilling to try a bit of rock-climbing. 

Eagle Rock
Courtesy NLI

A few years later, in 1864, it was also Tyndall who made the first recorded ascent of the Slieve League sea cliffs in Donegal.  Tom Hirst, in his diary, records that '...‘John descended one of the steepest portions to the water’s edge, and then ascended again, at a still steeper place. The guide dared not follow him but had to make a detour whilst John emerged safely at the very highest point of the cliffs. His wondrous feats of climbing already forms the subject of talk in the whole neighbourhood.’  On that same trip they spent time '... clambering over the (Giant's) Causeway and wandering from headland to headland along the coast'.  There is no mention, however, of any climbing on Fair Head!

There is a somewhat earlier account in the Dublin University Magazine  (1853) of what has been recounted as a climbing event.  On examination it appears that the event was where a man was lowered by rope down a cliff or rock-face on Sliabh Snaght, in Donegal,  to get access to an eagle's nest.  No actual climbing was involved - he was hauled back up the face with the  eagle chicks in his pockets - even though it was claimed that the same man had ascended Pieter Botte mountain in Mauritius, alone and with the aid of a rope.

In 1895 the Irish Times reported that '

Powerscourt

a member of the Alpine Club and two experienced mountaineers'  using ice-axes and other mountaineering equipment  climbed up the steep side of frozen  Powerscourt Waterfall in Wicklow in February of that year.  It is not recorded who were the climbers. Paddy O'Leary with Frank Nugent maintain that one of them was Richard Barrington.

In the eary years of the 20th century a number of people indulged in the activity.  Many of these were members of the Dublin (United) Arts Club and their activities will be examined in future posts.

Calvin Torrans (IMEHS Journal Vol 2)has provided a detailed account of the history of Rock-climbing from the 1940s to 80s and this will be looked at in due course.

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