Irish Climbers Reach the Summit of Mount Everest

With a record number of people trying to reach the summit of Mount Everest 50 years after it was first scaled, two Irish climbers, Cork man Mick Murphy and Ger McDonnell from Limerick reached the summit on May 23, six days before the anniversary of Sir Edmund Hilary’s first ascent.

The two Irish climbers overcame hurricanes and blizzards to reach the summit. They became separated during their climb due to the adverse conditions, but were both with Sherpas and within radio contact with each other and base camp. Murphy was the first to reach the summit with McDonnell arriving an hour and a half later. The colorful Limerick man, sporting a hurley stick in his backpack, promptly puked a sliothar off the top of Everest. ♦