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Lynam Award

Background of the Mountaineering Ireland Lynam Award

The Lynam Award was inaugurated in 2011 in the memory of Joss Lynam, (1924 - 2011), one of Ireland's best-known mountaineers, in recognition of his enormous achievements in hillwalking, climbing and mountaineering in Ireland and overseas over some 60 years.

During his lifetime, Joss initiated numerous developments in these different areas of our sport in Ireland and he was an inspiration to a number of generations of Irish mountaineers.

Joss Lynam’s achievements included many mountaineering expeditions to the Greater Ranges and an outstanding voluntary contribution to the development of adventure sports in Ireland. Joss was known to many Irish and international walking enthusiasts for his many hillwalking guidebooks. He was also the editor of the Irish Mountain Log (IML) for more than 20 years. Joss continued as the Literary Editor of the IML up to the time of his death.

Lynam Award recipients

Since it was inaugurated in 2011, the Lynam Award has been presented to both national and international recipients for their outstanding achievements and contribution to mountaineering. Each recipient has also delivered a lecture on the evening. These have been outstanding lectures that have generally reflected on their achievements but also the development of our sport and how it might progress in coming years.

Past Lynam Award recipients:

2011 – Harish Karpadia

2012 – Dawson Stelfox

2013 – Stephen Venables

2014 – Claire Sheridan

2015 – Ines Papert

2016 – Paul Swail and John McCune

2017 – Frank Nugent

2018 - Paddy O Leary

2019 - Sir Chris Bonington

2020 - Dr Clare O Leary

2021 - Noel Hanna

2022 - Leo Houlding

2023 - Calvin Torrans

2024 - Dermot Somers

The Mountaineering Ireland Lynam Award is delivered in December each year. Recordings of some previous Lynam Awards can be viewed here. 

If you would like to nominate a person you believe should receive this prestigious award please email [email protected].