A 41-year-old man was airlifted to hospital after his climbing equipment apparently failed and he fell five metres from a cliff face, crushing several vertebrae in his back.
The man, a Czech national with an address in Dublin, was climbing with three others on Saturday evening at Ailladee, north of Doolin in Co Clare.
The area is popular with rock climbers but has seen several accidents already this year. The Defence Forces have used the area for training personnel in the past.
The man had been “free- climbing”, a method where climbers use only their hands and feet to ascend, using ropes and other safety equipment to prevent falls only.