J. B. Malone

John James Bernard (J.B.) Malone (13 December 1913 – 17 October 1989) was an Irish hill-walking enthusiast who popularised the pastime through his television programmes and books. He was responsible for the establishment of the Wicklow Way as a recognised walking trail, having first proposed it in 1966.[3]

John James Bernard (J.B.) Malone
2014 exhibition on J. B. Malone[1][2]
Born(1913-12-13)13 December 1913
Leeds, England
Died17 October 1989(1989-10-17) (aged 75)
Dublin, Ireland
EducationMarist Brothers College, Grove Ferry, Kent
Occupation(s)cartographer, draughtsman
Known forWriter on hill-walking
Creator of the Wicklow Way
SpouseMargaret Garry
Children3
Parent(s)James Bernard Malone
Agnes Malone (née Kenny)

Early years

Malone was born in 1913 in Leeds, England, to James Bernard Malone and his wife, Agnes (née Kenny), both from Dublin. He was raised mainly in England and completed his secondary education at the Marist Brothers College, Grove Ferry, Kent.[4][5]

Working life

Malone moved to Ireland in 1931 where he found employment in a builders’ providers firm and an insurance company before joining the Irish Army in 1940.[5] There he became a cartographer in the intelligence section. In 1947, having left the army, he went to work at the Department of Posts and Telegraphs as a draughtsman. Malone remained employed in the Irish civil service until his retirement in 1979.[4][5]

Hill-walking
J.B. Malone memorial stone on Djouce Mountain in County Wicklow.

Malone started hill-walking in 1931 when he climbed Montpelier Hill to visit the ruins of the Hellfire Club.[6] Later, while on leave during his military career, he developed a detailed knowledge of walking routes throughout the Wicklow hills. Malone sat on the Board of An Taisce in Ireland from 1970 to 1974.[5]

Wicklow Way
Main article: Wicklow Way

Following his retirement from the civil service, he was appointed as a field officer with the Long Distance Walking Routes Committee of Cospóir, the National Sports Council.[7] There, he negotiated rights of way with land-owners to enable his vision of the Wicklow Way to become a reality.[8] Malone first proposed a guided walking route through the Wicklow hills in 1966, although he had first raised the idea as early as 1942.[4]

Writing

From 1938 to 1975 Malone contributed a regular column to the Evening Herald entitled Over the Hills.[6] Between 1967 and 1968 he wrote the column Know your Dublin, illustrated by Liam C. Martin. The column featured information on a Dublin landmark, and was later compiled into a book published in 1969.[4]

During the 1960s, Malone presented a television documentary series on RTÉ entitled Mountain and Meadow, in which, accompanied by a cameraman, he introduced viewers to a variety of hill walks in Wicklow and surrounding counties.[5] In 1980, he presented a one-hour TV programme on the newly opened Wicklow Way.[5][6]

From 1950 to 1988, Malone wrote several books on hillwalking in the Dublin Mountains and the Wicklow Mountains.[9][10][11][12]

Awards and honours

In 1980, Malone was made an honorary life member of An Óige, the Irish Youth Hostel Association, in recognition of his contribution to promoting the Irish countryside.[13]

Following his death in 1989, Malone's contribution to hill-walking in Ireland was marked by the erection of the J.B. Malone Memorial Stone plaque in his honour on a section of the Wicklow Way overlooking Lough Tay.[4]

In October 2014, on the 25th anniversary of Malone's death, the South Dublin Libraries held an exhibition on his life and work.[1][2][14]

Personal life

Malone married Margaret Garry in 1947 and they had three children.[4] He died at St. James's Hospital, Dublin at the age of 75 and is buried in Bohernabreena Cemetery, Tallaght.[7]

Publications
  • J.B. Malone (1950). "The Open Road Guide to the Neighbourhood of Dublin for Ramblers, Cyclists & Motorists". Evening Herald. ASIN B00SHBSUSI.
  • J.B. Malone (1964). Walking in Wicklow: A Guide for Travellers (afoot & awheel) through the Wicklow Mountains. Helicon. ASIN B0014M9PO0.
  • J.B. Malone; Liam C. Martin (1968). Know Your Dublin. Sceptre Books. ASIN B0032QG12U.
  • J.B. Malone (1988). The Complete Wicklow Way. O'Brien Press Ltd. ISBN 978-0862781583.

See also

References
  1. Luke Byrne (30 October 2014). "Tribute to rambler JB Malone". Evening Herald. Retrieved 8 July 2019. WALLS of Tallaght library have come alive with pictures and stories of the Dublin and Wicklow mountains in tribute to legendary hill-walker JB Malone.
  2. Michael Fewer (October 2014). "J. B. Malone: Walking Trails Pioneer Exhibition". South Dublin Libraries. Retrieved 8 July 2019.
  3. The Irish Times, "Hiker JB launches guide to doing it his way", March 25, 1988
  4. Shanahan, Jim (2009). "Malone, John James Bernard ('J. B.')". Dictionary of Irish Biography. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  5. "J.B. Malone: A walk in history". Evening Herald. 9 September 2014. Retrieved 8 July 2019.
  6. Malone, The Complete Wicklow Way, introduction
  7. The Irish Times, "Death of pioneer of guided walking routes", October 19, 1989
  8. The Irish Times, "Rights of way disappear through neglect", November 18, 1986
  9. J.B. Malone (1950). "The Open Road Guide to the Neighbourhood of Dublin for Ramblers, Cyclists & Motorists". Evening Herald. ASIN B00SHBSUSI.
  10. J.B. Malone (1964). Walking in Wicklow: A Guide for Travellers (afoot & awheel) through the Wicklow Mountains. Helicon. ASIN B0014M9PO0.
  11. J.B. Malone; Liam C. Martin (1968). Know Your Dublin. Sceptre Books. ASIN B0032QG12U.
  12. J.B. Malone (1988). The Complete Wicklow Way. O'Brien Press Ltd. ISBN 978-0862781583.
  13. The Irish Times, "An Oige life member", January 29, 1980
  14. "JB Malone exhibition coming to Enniskerry". Irish Independent. 2 May 2015. Retrieved 8 July 2019.
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