Dermot Somers (born 1947, Tremane, County Roscommon, Ireland) is an Irish mountaineer, explorer, writer, and broadcaster. He was educated in the Irish-speaking Coláiste Mhuire, Dublin, and graduated from University College Dublin with a BA and HDipEd, and worked for a time as a teacher, before concentrating full-time on writing, broadcasting, and travelling. He now lives in Drogheda.

Climbing career

Somers started climbing in 1974 at the age of 27, and became one of the leading rock-climbers in Ireland in the 1970s, establishing significant new routes in areas such as Ailladie (The Ramp), Fair Head (An Gobán Saor, Fáth mo Bhuartha), Muckross Head, and Tormore in County Sligo. In 1983, he became the first Irishman to have climbed the six great north faces of the Alps. He participated in Irish expeditions to Himalayan peaks Changtse in 1987, Manaslu in 1991, and Everest in 1993. He has also climbed in the Andes and other greater ranges.

Writing and broadcasting

He has written several books in both Irish and English, documenting his travels, and also volumes of fictional short stories. His publications include: He has written and presented several programmes and series for radio and television, covering themes of mountaineering and exploration and Irish landscape and folklore. The television productions were mostly commissioned by RTÉ and TG4 and produced by John Murray of Crossing The Line Films. The productions include: