Friendship on ice for 23 years restarted after chance meeting in Antarctica
That’s exactly what happened this week when John Paul O’Donnell and Danny McFadden met one another on the virtually uninhabited ice-covered landmass.
John Paul and Danny last met when they were classmates in Scoil Naomh Duigh, Annagry, a small gaeltacht village in Donegal, back in 1993.
Never did these two men dream that some day their work would take them to Antarctica — let alone the chances of meeting a classmate from Annagry.
John Paul, from Meenaleck, later attended PobalScoil Ghaoth Dobhair and went on to third-level education at Trinity College Dublin and UCD, studying physics. He attained his PhD in geophysics with NUI Galway and went on to work with Pennsylvania State University. He is currently with Leeds University.
He has previously worked in Antarctica with the US national science foundation. He was back in west Antarctica earlier this year installing seismometers in the Pine Island region for Leeds University.
Overnight continuous snow at #Rothera #Antarctica leaves the base covered in a fresh layer of powder snow @BAS_News pic.twitter.com/AkbTGAGTjE
— dantarctic (@dantarctic) March 8, 2016
The Leeds programme was based out of the Rothera Research Station, Alexander Island, on the Antarctic peninsula, part of the British Antarctic Survey research stations.
Rothera Station was the logistics hub for his 10-week project in Pine Island Glacier, as well as many other deep field projects.
Two hours after arriving at Rothera Antarctica, as part of the arrivals briefings, John Paul was surprised to find Danny McFadden, from Calhame, walking in to brief the new arrivals at Rothera.
After leaving Scoil Naomh Duigh, Danny attended Pobalscoil Falcarragh before moving to Letterkenny IT, specialising in mobile, wireless, and satellite computing. He was involved with rural broadband projects in Ireland.
Some more of the wildlife still to be seen in #Rothera #Antarctica This is very much living with nature ! @BAS_News pic.twitter.com/rP6aTDF9y0
— dantarctic (@dantarctic) March 7, 2016
Danny is finishing an 18-month tour, having left Calhame for Antarctica in October 2014, and is due to return to Ireland late next month.
Danny was equally surprised to see John Paul, both men not having properly met the other for 23 years.
“Obviously we could not pass the opportunity to get a picture of two Rosses men in Antarctica,” Danny said.
“Now that we’ve met again — more than 20 years on — we’re looking forward to getting back to Donegal shores and catching up with one another soon.”
Last two #DC3 in #Antarctica, arriving with us in #Rothera before leaving northbound to #PuntaArenas @MikeyMcBryan pic.twitter.com/KI3DGA3PaW
— dantarctic (@dantarctic) March 3, 2016
