Hillwalking, climbing and mountaineering have long been favourite pastimes in this country. Dan MacCarthy says Paddy O’Leary’s new history captures the intense rivalry of these sports’ participants

IT was like the old joke about the elephant wearing sunglasses because he didn’t want to be recognised.

THANK God for Pádraig Harrington. Just when we seemed destined to drown in a tsunami of miserable news about recession, shootings in Dublin and the Lisbon Treaty, it’s good to see the Irish media finally realising that good news — especially sports news — is indeed newsworthy.