Mountaineers are calling for Dalkey quarry, a Dublin landmark and beauty spot, to become a protected site, after the council knocked down sections of rock climbs that date back to the foundation of the sport in Ireland.

Several of Ireland’s most popular climbing routes were damaged when Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown county council removed ground-level rocks with a digger last month. The quarry has been used for rock climbing since the 1940s and contains more than 300 climbs, measuring up to 115ft in height, on mainly granite rock.

Mountaineering Ireland is calling on the council to grant its first Special Amenity Area Order (SAAO) to the site to prevent further destruction.

Karl Boyle, its chief officer, said the council had taken the decision to remove the rocks without consulting recreational users. He described the site as a “Mecca for climbing” that attracts enthusiasts from across Ireland.

“This is about the future of the quarry. We want to see it preserved as a recreational amenity,” he said.

“Each route is named and described in terms of how you climb it. People have lost sweat, tears and blood on these routes. There is a huge link between the climber and the rock and we want to insure that what happened doesn’t happen again.”

Mountaineering Ireland submitted its proposal for a SAAO two weeks ago and was told that it would receive a reply shortly. While the council has never granted an SAAO before, there is precedence for it in Fingal, where the Liffey Valley and Howth have been granted the status.

A spokesman from Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown’s parks section said that it was investigating the feasibility of granting two such orders, one of which includes the quarry.

He said the council wanted to ensure that issues such as public access and recreational activities did not affect the conservation of the heritage landscape.

“In early May, council staff became aware of a small rock outcrop that was considered to be in danger of collapse. Immediate action was taken in the interest of public safety,” he said.

Boyle said that the council was aware of the value of the quarry and that the two bodies were working to find a positive outcome.

“It’s a resource that doesn’t require any refurbishment and little maintenance, and what makes it unusual is that it has public transport right to the door, in the form of the Dart. Within an urban area, we have an authentic amenity. It’s a fantastic resource,” he said.

Dalkey quarry was used for quarrying in the 1800s and is now part of Killiney Hill public park. Dalkey Quarry, a rock-climbing guide, is in its seventh edition. The book’s publication in 1942 was key to developing the sport in Ireland.

The site is popular with climbers because the quarry has been disused for more than 150 years, meaning that there is little loose rock.

This article appeared in The Sunday Times on 27 June 2010.