Knockmore

This is the half-mile long limestone cliff, up to 100 m high, above Derrygonnelly, on the L 57 Garrison road. (Grid Ref. 085507, Sheet 17).

Access to this crag is very sensitive and climbers should consider not going there until the access situation improves.

UNNAMED ROUTE 65m
Brooke, Cobley, Clarke
Start in chimney at the centre of the crag looking right.
1) Climb to choke, 9m, thread belay beneath rotting tree (very loose). Tight chimney to rocky spur. out and over to tree. Very good belay and stance.
2) Into chimney, up boulder. Climb up right hand wall, turn around and continue up to large boulder jammed in chimney, then out left and up loose finish.

Right of Unnamed Route is a large buttress of rock with a deep, greyish right-facing corner crack system steeply overhanging at the base -

MACHINE NUT CRACK 77m E1 5a, 4b
D.Stelfox, R.Lawson 13th June 1982
1) 40m Starting on the left side move up and right, through the main overhangs and strenuously up the crag above. The rock deteriorates as grade eases to a good belay ledge on the left.
2) 37m The chimney crack above is climbed, on rock to start, gradually degenerating into steep grass. If the grass is wet this section will probably be the crux and it may be wise to leave a rope hanging from the top. Belay stake in place in a slight dip beyond rock at top of crag.

LAXATIVE GULLY VS
J.Dixon, P.Lord July 1968
Start right of centre of crag.
1) Up grass and rock to gully
2) Up gully to top then chimney up. Up left hand wall to top. Dicult rock is very good.

The following two routes have also been recorded on the crag, where I do not know! The available descriptions are enclosed for completeness.

ROOKERY NOOK 30m S
Rogers, Orr 1965
Start 1/4 mile to the left of a quarry at the top edge of a huge cave formed by a fallen slab.
1) 6m. Walk up gully.
2) 24m. Up to chockstone then on up. Exit is dodgy on wall.

CHIMNEY ROUTE
Fulton, Rogers 1968
Chimney up behind huge flake to chockstone. Continue up main face to exit on loose pebbly rock.

This massive limestone crag sports but two new routes in its entire length- and finding them isn't easy. But the incentive to climb, or at least look at,Ireland's only (at one time) bolted sports climbs, complete with French grades, may be just enough to keep you searching through the under-growth. Walk along the road on top of the crag (which starts at the far right-hand end) for about 15 minutes until some trees start to appear - as if by magic - on your left. Keep your eyes peeled for a belay stake near the fence and an ash tree with a piece of tat on it. Congratulations. You are now above The Epic McClintock! Alternatively, do what everyone does. Walk along the base of the crag, to the primordial forest on the left and thrash your way through for several minutes until you see the bolts on a buttress up to your right.

THE EPIC MCCLINTOCK Fr7a+ E5 6a/b
A. Millar & N. Grimes October '91
Basically abseil down the route (or scramble a gully 100m to the right from the top) and climb back up the wall following (and resting on) the bolts. Repeat this until you '...have the power to string all the moves together

PADDY ON SITE E1 5c
N Grimes, A. Millar '90
A route of more historical than aesthetical value, it was the first bolted route put up here - laying the foundation for future generations of sports climbers. About 100m deeper into the land that time forgot, (or to the right if you're on the top), there's the easy descent gully/ramp.PADDY goes past the first three bolts here and lowers off the fourth.

Behind the main cliff, a concrete farm road leads through a rocky valley. On the left side of the road behind a low band of cliffs there rises a steep compact limestone crag about 20 metres high, broken and less steep on the left. About a third of the way in from the left start at a clean section with a groove just left of a bush on the cliff.

JALLA SAID CALL IT THE FIELD 15m E2 5c
Jimmy Walsh, Raymond Hassard May 1993
Climb the groove on clean rock trending left then right.