Nearly every county has some sort of climbing available and is on a variety of rock, from granite in Dalkey to limestone in the Burren. Some of the most popular areas are Dalkey (near Dublin), Glendalough, 30 miles south of Dublin, Fairhead in Co. Antrim, Gola Island off the coast of Donegal and Muckross Head, the Burren in Co. Clare, to name a few. It is almost exclusively trad, although there is one sports crag in Kilkenny,which is enjoyable, a nice alternative to trad, the routes are of good quality and the grades are sustained, although the bolts are a tad far apart.

The weather though I am afraid to say is the greatest enemy to the traveller, as it rains a lot and this will obviously seriously hamper climbing. Climbers in Ireland are also generally speaking, friendly and helpful so the traveller should not be too worried about asking for help.

For all the tourist information on Ireland check out the Lonely Planet Guide to Ireland

For purchase of guidebooks (and gear if you forget some) check out Greatoutdoors Dublin and Outdoor Adventure Store Dublin

Check out these sites for more information on climbing in Ireland including new routes and crag guides

Conversion Grade Guide or more comprehensive Grade Guide