Irish Schools Climbing Competition 2024: Results and Highlights

We at Awesome Walls Dublin, the home of Irish climbing, are thrilled to share the highlights of the 2024 Irish Schools Climbing Competition. This year’s event was a phenomenal success, and we extend our heartfelt thanks to all the competitors who took part in both the finals and the qualifying rounds in Dublin and Cork. Your dedication and enthusiasm made this event truly memorable.

The competition saw an incredible turnout, with students from across Ireland showcasing their climbing skills and sportsmanship. From the initial qualifying rounds to the nail-biting finals, each participant demonstrated remarkable talent and determination. We hope you had as great an experience as we did, and we’re already looking forward to seeing you back next year.

For those eager to see how they fared, you can find the results below. We also have some fantastic final photos captured by the talented Fiona Madden, which you can view through the following link: Final Photos by Fiona Madden. These photos perfectly capture the excitement and intensity of the event, and we encourage you to take a look.

The 2024 Irish Schools Climbing Competition was more than just a contest; it was a celebration of the climbing community’s spirit and camaraderie. We are proud to have hosted such a significant event and are committed to fostering and supporting young climbers in Ireland.

Stay tuned for more updates and announcements as we prepare for next year’s competition. We hope to continue providing a platform for young climbers to challenge themselves, improve their skills, and connect with fellow climbing enthusiasts.

All the best,

The Awesome Walls Team

Download Results Here

Do you want to enter our next competition? Check out how here

Eight weeks ago I was idly checking my social media when a friends post in our running group caught my eye.
‘I’m injured, does anyone want my Race Across Scotland place?’ As expected no one snatched up his offer as running 225 miles over Scotlands Southern Upland Way in under 100 hours appealed!
Funnily enough though a few people mentioned my name…
Whilst big epic running challenges are my thing, I felt with only six weeks notice and a lack of big training days, I wasn’t quite ready for such suffer fest.
I also had the slight complication that I had a 100 mile race two weeks before that one!

To cut a long story short I accepted the place, I only ran 40 miles of the 100 and arrived at Portpatrick on Friday the evening before the big race.

On Saturday 6am 163 of us set off heading East to push our bodies and minds to their limits.
As the miles clicked away we ate plenty and slept little but pushed on regardless.
Day 1, day 2, day 3 were a blur and eventually day 4 arrived.
Everyone was totally spent but with the finish line close (40+ miles) we needed to crack on and complete this epic journey.
Unfortunately many people had had to drop out along the course but 63 competitors pushed on.
After running for 85 hours and sleeping for less than 5 hours I eventually hit a pain barrier that tried to thwart my progress.
Blisters on four toes, the base of one foot and around both ankles brought me to a hobble/wobble!
I had a final nine miles to the finish and NOTHING was going to stop me. While I walked, hobbled, tripped and jogged, a few hardier runners passed me but we all had the same goal in mind.

I’m pleased to say that I crossed the finish line after 227 miles and 89 hours and raised an awesome £2100+ for Mind Charity (the JustGiving page is still open for donations https://bit.ly/DavesRAS24)

I had a good friend Dave Jones help me along the way with nutrition (pot noodles), kit (sweaty clothes) and encouragement (move it…). Without his tremendous support the outcome would not have been the same.

I’ve received so much positive support via emails, social media and personally that I can’t thank my supporters enough.

My years of climbing have taught me many things, but one of the most important things is ‘Stay Positive’.

Hope to see you at the climbing wall soon,

Dave Douglas