Celebration of climber’s life
There isn’t a hill in sight near Kilcornan where Ger McDonnell was reared and went to national school.
Yet it was here he cultivated his dream to climb great mountains.
It was a dream which two week ago led to his tragic death on the most awesome summit of them all, K2 in the Himalayas. Ger, 37, was one of the Norit K2 expedition team which made it to the top.
But tragedy struck on the way down. Instead of saving himself, Ger backtracked up part of the mountain to help save a number of Korean team members.
A massive avalanche slammed into the climbers and they perished in a canyon of ice.
Last week, his brother JJ, girlfriend, Annie Starkey, his sister, Denise O’Brien, and her husband, Damien, travelled to Pakistan to find out what happened and to bring home his personal belongings.
The story of magnificent bravery told to them of his last hours will help console and enrich their memories of Ger whose body is entombed on K2.
The president and the Taoiseach sent their Aide de Camps to yesterday’s Mass and commemoration of Ger’s life.
JJ McDonnell told the gathering of up to 1,000: “Ger was an inspiration to all the family. He made all our lives brighter and fuller. We will find the future difficult without him. Ger, you were our hero. Ger, we will miss you and we love you. There is a void left with only our happy memories to fill.”
He recalled the last big celebration they organised in Kilcornan. That was in 2003 to celebrate Ger’s homecoming after he had scaled and pucked a sliothar off the top of Everest.
JJ McDonnell said: “If Ger was here today he would be humbled as he was by the crowed which gathered here in the same community centre for his homecoming after Everest.”
Fr Joe Noonan, who was chief celebrant at Mass, said Ger’s legacy was his life.
The mourners were led by his mother Gertie, brother JJ, and sisters, Denis O’Brien, Stephanie Holland and Martha Lynch.
Also in attendance was Annie Starkey.
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