What a wrap for Chalk It Down 2026.
On Saturday 7th February, our Cork centre was packed wall-to-wall with climbers, spectators and serious energy. From the first qualifier attempts in the morning to the final holds being stuck under the lights, the atmosphere was electric and a real celebration of Irish competition climbing.
A Massive Thank You
Events like this don’t happen without an incredible team effort and Chalk It Down 2026 was a true showcase of that.
First and foremost, a huge thank you to Al “The Voice of Irish Climbing” Byrne. Al once again brought unmatched energy, insight and humour to finals night. His commentary lifted the entire room and helped turn an already exciting final into a proper spectacle.
Alongside him, Seán played a huge role in event organisation and brought real showmanship to the finals floor working the crowd, supporting the athletes and helping keep the atmosphere electric from start to finish.
Massive thanks as well to James Watson for managing the lights and sound that transformed finals into something truly special.
And of course, thank you to:
- Every climber who signed up and gave it everything
- Everyone who came along to support, cheer and spectate
- All the staff who worked throughout the day to keep things running smoothly
Setting & Planning
Huge credit goes to Filip, Cork’s Chief Setter, for his work in event organisation and planning, alongside leading the Quals setting team.
For the finals, Mark Scanlon led the setting and what a show it was. Mark was an absolute beast in testing, throwing himself at the blocs to make sure they were both spectacular and perfectly dialled. The final problems were powerful, technical and crowd-pleasing in all the right ways.
Massive thanks to the Cork routesetters: Dan, Keith, Elia and Mitch for producing a fantastic set of qualifiers and a dynamic, crowd-pleasing final. The blocs tested everything: coordination, power, tension and precision and separated the field perfectly.
The Officials
A competition runs on fairness and focus — and we were lucky to have two brilliant officials keeping things sharp:
Lauren (“Iso Mammy”)
Eimir (“Ice Queen”)
Thank you both for keeping everything running smoothly and professionally throughout the day.
Behind the Scenes Heroes
Events like this are built long before the first climber pulls on and cleared long after the final podium photo.
Huge appreciation to the Awesome Walls crew who worked tirelessly behind the scenes:
Judit, Lisa, Karen, Claire, Adam, Oscar, Kelsey and Gearoid (Pizza Man!)
And to every single member of staff who helped bring Chalk It Down 2026 to life thank you. Your energy, effort and teamwork are what make these events possible.
🏆 Legends Female Podium
🥇 Ciara Lawlor – 99.3
🥈 Rhyna Conroy – 74.3
🥉 Sarah Hoare – 49.5
Finalists:
4. Jennifer Rafferty – 34.1
5. Sive Hoare – 25.0
6. Lilou Conroy – 8.9
A special shoutout as well to Rhyna Conroy, who not only took second place on the wall but also designed this year’s awesome limited-edition Chalk It Down T-shirt. It’s class to see athletes contributing creatively to the event beyond competition day and the tees were a serious hit.
🏆 Legends Male Podium
🥇 Tommy Myles – 74.8
🥈 Seán Henchion – 69.8
🥉 Michael O’Neill – 59.8
4. Tom Nickels – 59.8
5. Noah Cronly – 29.4
5. Conor O’Beirne – 29.4
With 76 competitors in the Legends Male category and a stacked female field, the standard on show in Cork was seriously impressive.
Check out the full results…
Community First
What stood out most wasn’t just the climbing it was the atmosphere.
Finalists cheering each other on. Spectators packed around the mats. Big attempts, big falls, big tops. That’s what makes Chalk It Down special. It’s competitive, but it’s community-driven at its core.
Congratulations again to our 2026 Champions:
Ciara Lawlor and Tommy Myles.
And thank you to everyone who made the day what it was.
We’re already looking forward to Chalk It Down 2027.
