Salvaged entry¹

Dublin, the jewel of the Irish land, is home to some of the best rock climbing in Ireland. Situated on the south side of the city, there lies the small and quaint village of Dalkey. This is one of the most expensive parts of Ireland to buy land in - but that's not the only good point.

In Dalkey there lies the Dublin climbing Mecca that is The Quarry. This abandoned granite quarry, which was used to build the pier at Dun Laoghaire Harbour has become one of the most influential spots for Irish climbing since the sport first arrived there. The first climbs were put up in the early 1940's by the Irish Mountaineering Club² and it has progressed steadily from that point. Stunning names such as Astrodog and Visions of the emerald beyond are to be found among the harder climbs, while Paradise lost and Yorkshire pudding are amoung the old training grounds. Then there are such climbs as Tower ridge direct and The shield which are spoken of only in hushed terms by those who have had close calls. With grades³ ranging from S⁴ - Severe - to a maximum of E6 and E7⁵ - extreme - the quarry has climbing for people of nearly all ages and grade standards.

The quarry is easily accessible from the DART Train Station -about a ten minute walk. And, of course, a day's climbing can only be surmounted by a trip down to one of the local pubs for a Guinness.