Climb with Charlie Event at Lyons Hill

On Saturday 2 April, UCD Lyons Hill was the location for one of the over 200 ‘Climb with Charlie’ events that took place throughout Ireland and further afield.  All of the events happened on the same day that Charlie Bird, the former RTE news correspondent who announced that he was diagnosed with Motor Neuron Disease in December 2021, climbed Croagh Patrick. Due to restoration works taking place on Croagh Patrick, the capacity of Ireland’s ‘holy mountain’ was limited and people were encouraged to organise their own event locally while raising money for the two dedicated charities - the Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association and Pieta House. 

Lyons Hill will be familiar to anyone who has visited UCD Lyons Farm. The hill is located on the farmland and is just under 100 meters high. At the top there is a small cairn as well as a trigonometrical point used by Ireland's Ordnance Survey.  It’s claimed that Lyons Hill is the highest point in Kildare and that it used to be one of the seats of the King of Leinster.  

UCD opened the farm gates on 2 April for the ‘Climb with Charlie’ event and around 100 people made their way around a 3.4km looped walk, taking in views of the old church, graveyard and castle that are on the estate and also some of the calves and lambs currently on the farm.  It was clear from the top of Lyons Hill why this would have been chosen as the seat of the Kings of Leinster as the views were spectacular on what was a lovely, clear afternoon. It was possible to see the Poolbeg towers and Howth to the east, snow-capped Lugnaquilla to the South and the Slieve Bloom mountains to the West as well as the whole county of Kildare and beyond. It was a great event that raised over €3000 for charity and a great opportunity to showcase UCD Lyons Farm, which plays such an important role in providing facilities for both research and education in UCD.