Ireland Trip pt.1 | Enter Dalkey
The Irish and Scottish go way back. We share a tangled Gaelic lineage, a fondness for self-deprecating humour, and—let’s be honest—a complicated relationship with the English. So it’s no surprise that the first Irish climbers I met, back on a trip to Céüse in 2007, felt like long-lost cousins. We got on like a bothy on fire. Ever since then, I’ve bumped into Irish climbers all over the world. Like us Scots, they travel far, climb hard, and make a hell of a racket while doing it—so we tend to stand out wherever we go.
I’ve been hopping across the Irish Sea fairly regularly since 2012, originally for the odd climbing comp. The first I remember was the Irish Nationals at Awesome Walls Dublin, where I competed alongside my old pal Eddie Barbour. That trip was also when I first met Ricky Bell—a powerhouse of Irish climbing with more gnarly trad and boulder first ascents than you can shake a hex at.
My first visit to Dublin Awesome Walls and all of us getting schooled at comps by a young Alex Waterhouse
But Ricky’s more than just a beast on the sharp end. He’s a creative soul with an eye for a line, but aside from the climbing, he also well known for his filmmaking. Most notably Underdeveloped, a full-length Irish climbing documentary that perfectly captures the mid-2000s vibe: before Instagram, before “content”, back when filming meant a shaky handheld camera, a banging soundtrack, and your mates doing something sketchy while grinning like idiots (imagine deep water soloing above a jellyfish-infested sea and then playing rock paper scissors to see who jumps in). I LOVED IT. You just don’t get films like that anymore (I’m actually watching it as I write this… it’s so bloody good!)
Fair Head, the Burren, the Mournes… all featured in Underdeveloped. I’d been to the Mournes and Fair Head before, but only for a day each. I’d also long heard whispers of a granite paradise called Owey Island—put on the map by Cold House Media’s A Feather in the West (also a must-watch). So this year, I planned an epic road trip to Ireland to visit them all.
Arriving at a wet Lower Cove in the Mournes… Sadly the Mournes will have to wait till next time
The trip kicked off by collecting my climbing partner and van mate for the next few weeks, Nick Wylie, from his parents’ place on the edge of Glasgow. From there, we headed straight for the ferry. First stop: Dublin. I had a talk lined up in a few days at the Patagonia Dublin store, so we checked out a local spot I’d heard loads about—Dalkey Quarry.
Now, I know quarries. I spent a fair bit of time in the Central Belt crags of Ratho and Cambusbarron, so I’ve got a bit of a soft spot for quarried rock. Still, I wasn’t expecting to be as impressed by Dalkey as I was. On day one, I racked up a tidy haul of classics:
Port Cullis E5 6b
Crime in the City E5 6a
The Prisoner E5 6a
Alexandria E6 6b
Meeting up with an old friend Cian O’Leary who hadn’t climbed in years, but used to be the king of Dalkey!
I onsighted them all, but Alexandria gave me a proper fight—definitely a stout E6! That said, The Prisoner took the gold for quality. It is one of the best quarry lines I’ve ever climbed.
Of course, no trip is complete without a bit of failure. I had a stab at the E6 Haunted, but only got as far as the first spooky step onto the slab. My head just wasn’t in it. I’d done plenty of bold slabs in Northumberland that winter, so figured it’d be a cruise—but a cocktail of humidity, nerves, and not wanting to mangle myself at the start of the trip saw me backing off. Sometimes it’s just not the day.
I stopped by the Dublin Patagonia store on the last night for an excellent evening sharing stories and showing my St Kilda film. This is the 3rd speaking gig I’ve done in Ireland and the 2nd at that store - it’s always a great show in Dublin as the community are so keen, and I even got some abuse from the a young local wad named Luke (front row left in the yellow tee) who said “Haunted” was easy… I guess that was me told (cheeky wee S***)
Next stop: Fair Head.
