Help with History of Irish Mountain Running
| Author | Date | Message |
|---|---|---|
| Ryan Weir | Nov 16 2021, 6:40pm | Hello. I'm a podcaster researching the history of mountains in Ireland during 1800-1916. I was wondering if anyone here had any insights or information relating to Charles Barrington, his climb of the Eiger, or his role in the creation of the IMRA. I'd really appreciate any help you can offer. Many thanks, Ryan |
| Joe Lalor | Nov 16 2021, 8:57pm | Hi Ryan, IMRA is celebrating its 40th anniversary next weekend. However we do have a slight connection with Charles Barrington. His great great great grand nephew sponsored our Christmas race up the Sugarloaf (near the original family home) for a number of years, starting 27th Dec 2006. If you go to the events page on our site and click 2006 and scroll down to 27th Dec you will get a newsy report and some photos. Best of luck with your research. |
| Brian Kitson | Nov 17 2021, 1:26pm | Hey Ryan The Barrington Brothers, and Charles in particular, have a number of remarkable achievements to their name. I wrote a short report about a lockdown ultra run I devised and ran last year which resulted in me discovering a plaque on a long-forgotten bridge dedicated to Charles' brother, Richard, which reminded me of another plaque I came across years ago at the base of The Eiger mountain dedicated to Charles acknowledging his first ascent of the mountain. The link to my piece is as follows: https://medium.com/@briankitson/adventuring-and-adventurers-within-a-tight-circumference-e961ee8e201a There is also of fantastic account of Charles' epic first ascent of the Eiger in this Irish Times article. https://medium.com/@briankitson/adventuring-and-adventurers-within-a-tight-circumference-e961ee8e201a Good luck with the podcast, I'll definitely be listening. Brian |
| Ryan Weir | Nov 17 2021, 4:05pm | Thanks both for your speedy response! Brian - I'll be checking out your article for sure, and that link to the Irish times is perfect! It sounds like the Barrington family were / are a fantastic group of characters! Joe - 40 years! How about that! What perfect timing! Are there any specific events planned? I'm going to take a look at the news report and photos now. I'm hoping that I can connect with Ron Barrington so it will be useful background knowledge for any conversation we might have. Aside from Charles' story, I'm also keen to understand more about the history of mountain climbing in Ireland, and the general attitude towards it. Has it always been popular? Or is it an emerging activity and growing in popularity? From my discussions with friends it was unclear between us if Ireland even HAD any mountains, but I can see that there are many beautiful ones. Do you think that they're just not being promoted very effectively, or is there a sense that they're just not enough of a draw for tourists? Any thoughts you have, I'd be glad to hear. Thanks again Ryan |
| Joe Lalor | Nov 17 2021, 5:09pm | Hi Ryan, re celebration for 40th see Kilmac Running Festival on home page. Two days of race based at Kilmacanoge GAA. Particularly on the Sat. great scope for meeting veteran IMRA folk with stories to tell |
| Justin Rea | Nov 19 2021, 9:15am | During the period you mention (1800-1916) the pursuit of mountaineering or mountain running was more of an act of derring-do of independantly wealthy gentlemen seeking to outdo each other. A lot of races in UK and Ireland would have been based around professional prize money, or in the case of Barrington's race up Sugarloaf in 1870 - a gold watch. IMRA was formed in the 1980s from a group of orienteeers who enjoyed running trails without having to get lost. |
| Niamh O'Boyle | Nov 19 2021, 11:26am | Hi Ryan, there is a chapter in Frank Nugent's book 'In Search of Peaks, Passes and Glaciers' about Charles Barrington, as well as lots of other early mountain pioneers. The mountain run at Sugarloaf that he organised gets a short paragraph too. It could be worth a look for you. |
| Ryan Weir | Dec 2 2021, 9:04am | With a huge thank you for all your help, I’m pleased to say that the podcast episode is now available.. https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/history-happened-everywhere/id1539277893?i=1000543710447 https://open.spotify.com/episode/0EvJ6np8Ar7PpkBQcwyHkV?si=mCRzfvKSRxaEUidP7xL58g |
| Brian Kitson | Dec 2 2021, 11:14am | Ryan, it just goes to show that whether one is climbing mountains or podcasting a helping of enthusiasm and honest endeavour will take you far. Great podcast; entertaining and enlightening. Thanks for shining a light on these two Irish legends. Brian |
| Ryan Weir | Dec 2 2021, 12:47pm | Thank you, Brian! So glad you enjoyed it. Wouldn’t have been able to pull it together without the help of this incredible forum! All the best to you. R |
