Mountaineering Ireland has announced the appointment of a second Hillwalking Development Officer.

Mountaineering Ireland CEO Liam Feeley described this as a significant milestone for the organisation, saying “This new appointment, and the collaboration between our two Hillwalking Development Officers, will improve the experience for our hillwalking members, and complement Mountaineering Ireland’s other supports for hillwalking, including member administration, training, and the work we do to protect access and Ireland’s mountains.”

The Mountaineering Ireland Board approved the appointment of a second Hillwalking Development Officer earlier this year. The post was offered internally as a career development opportunity, and Caoilainn McDaid who joined Mountaineering Ireland in early 2023, was appointed to the role of Hillwalking Development and Events Officer at the end of June. Caoilainn demonstrated her ability to work with the staff team and deliver support for Mountaineering Ireland’s hillwalking activities whilst our Hillwalking Development Officer, Ruth Whelan was on maternity leave.

With this new appointment, Ruth’s title has changed to Hillwalking Development and Club Officer.  Both officers will work closely together to support the development of hillwalking in Ireland and the roles are designed to complement each other in expanding our support for hillwalking.

Ruth’s role will focus on supporting the development of our existing and new hillwalking clubs, including enhancing the skills and experience of club members, creating and implementing programmes such as the Club Leadership Programme and Summit Steps, and fostering a supportive community for Mountaineering Ireland’s clubs.

Caoilainn’s role will focus on engaging with new hillwalkers through a range of Happy Hiking initiatives, leading the development of a Get Hiking programme for groups currently underrepresented in the outdoors, and supporting the delivery of events such as Women With Altitude, HER Outdoors, and other programmes that attract hillwalkers.

Here are the contact details for both officers if you would like to reach out to discuss any matters in relation to hillwalking:

Ruth Whelan

Hillwalking Development and Club Officer

Email: ruth@mountaineering.ie

Mobile: 087 161 2990

Caoilainn McDaid

Hillwalking Development and Events Officer

caoilainn@mountaineering.ie

Mobile: (+353) 087 4878680

For all other queries please contact: Tel: (+353) 01 6251115 e: info@mountaineering.ie