Layout and access There are three main climbing sections, the "Upper Cliffs", the "West Valley", and the "East Valley". Access to the West and East Valley sections is via the main entrance on Ardbrugh Road (just off Dalkey Avenue). Beside the East Valley section is a "Far East Valley" section, however, it is on private property and closed to climbing. Directly above the East and West valleys is the Upper Cliffs. It can be accessed by the broad ridge that separates the East and West valleys (along which the quarry railway ran), or via a
tarmac path from the Killiney Hill car-park, that passes an old signalling tower (British military tower to signal neighbouring
Martello towers), dropping steeply via a set of concrete steps to the base of the Upper Cliffs. The vegetation is home to wildlife, including
foxes, and since 2014,
peregrine falcons have sometimes
nested in the Upper Cliffs section; climbing in the vicinity of the nests is banned during the nesting periods.
Routes and ethics Routes are mainly single-
pitch routes (there are some multi-pitch routes), and between in length. The latest
guidebook, published in 2005, lists about 300 routes, at grades up to E7, while the online guidebook contains over 350 routes with grades to E8 6c (e.g.
Indecent Assault now regraded to E8). The number and density of routes in Dalkey Quarry is high given the size of the quarry (e.g.
Fair Head's 5 km long cliff has circa 450 routes, and
Ailladie's 1 km-long cliff has circa 200 routes), however, its popularity is due to its position as the most accessible outdoor rock climbing area for Dublin. The publication of the second IMC guidebook in 1949 saw many of the more obvious features climbed in the quarry. The council also said "This decision has been taken as a precautionary measure pending the completion of a comprehensive safety assessment at the site". ==Bouldering==