Hometown honour for Polar explorer

THE first Irishman to reach the South Pole was given the highest honour in his hometown at the weekend.

Adventurer and mountaineer Mike Barry, 51, was accorded a civic reception by Tralee Town Council. He had the rare distinction of being accorded the accolade for the second time, as he had previously been honoured for being a member of the first Irish Everest expedition in 1993.

He described his 1,200km walk through the frozen Antarctic as a long, hard slog with biting winds and sub-zero temperatures.