History of Colmcille Climbers

[Al Millar]

Last year lovely Carol, at St Colms Park, was doing a redd up of the various cupboards at the park under instructions from her bosses to throw out any superfluous paperwork she found. I found this out one evening I called in she handed me a tatty black folder and said to take it with me or else it would be thrown out. The folder was full of press cuttings and pictures of the early glory of the Climbing Wall and also handwritten notes by Alan Tees of the early Colmcille Climbers. It is these that I mark down for your perusal and interest.
I quote a handwritten account by Alan of the first meet of the "Colmcille Wallies" as he described himself and his compadries on 8th November 1992…(Read with voice of Tees.)

…Present were: Paul Dunlop, Hugh Boyle, "Doc" Russell Dougherty, Victor Russell, Robert ? …Lee Jones??, and Alan Tees. (And he adds) Kevin Deery and Ulrika turned up but went to the wrong crag.
At Dunowen a number of routes were climbed. Broadbinnes Emporium, Alhambra, Expertise, Zanzibar and four new ones (Prophetically) Start of Something New E4 6a, Paul Dunlop, Broadbinns Variation, H.S. H. Boyle. The Hustler, H. Sev. V Russell, H. Boyle, "Doc" Dougherty, and Moonstruck, HVS 4c, P. Dunlop "solo"
Weather was excellent and after a short meeting in the café in Culdaff (Very sober…what about Mc Grorys ) it was agreed that those interested would meet the 1st Sunday each month at 10.15 AM at St Colmbs and on a Tuesday night, 9 -10 at the wall.

Historical Stuff eh. Who was Ulrika, that is the question. Not Johnson I assume! Included in that offering are route descriptions in the hand of Dunlop (I think).
Next is another brief hand written account by chronicler Alan.

Sunday Dec 6th
Appalling day, - 3 overloaded cars to Culdaff. Rained all day. A couple of easy routes done and one abseil.

Then

Sunday 10th Jan. Only two turned up, due to weather forecast. Went to Port a Doris. Did Toby Jug Wall, Crack - a - Toa and windy Gap in good conditions, before it started to snow. (Very rugged ancestors we have!!)

Included is a photo of a figure on Crack - a - Toa and another photo of Inishowen head.

Finally is a report, on a sheet of special headed Colmcille Climbing notepaper no less (Where has that gone!) complete with Derry coat of arms and the pissed off skeleton at last relieving his frustrations and coming out as a climber, climbing the outside of a hold encrusted coat of arms with a world war one German Helmet on his head.

Friday 2nd April 1993 - PM
Alan Tees and Kieran Gallagher to Dunowen (No further details)

Then a hand drawn topo of Dunowen with descriptions of the first ascents of Jericho, A route yet to be named, Utmost Good Faith, and Aries.

If anyone else has any other photos or anecdotes they would like to relate then I am sure the webmaster would be very glad to receive it.
Coming soon: A delve into the spin that surrounded the early climbing wall with a view towards advancing the cause of the building of a new modern climbing wall in Derry.