McKeever ‘took the road less travelled’

Adventurer Ian McKeever took “the road less travelled”, mourners at his requiem Mass were told.

The 42-year-old mountain climber died on Africa’s highest mountain, Mt Kilimanjaro, on Jan 2 after being hit by lightning.

Hundreds of mourners from sporting, charity, and media circles packed into the Church of St. Laurence O’Toole in Roundwood on Saturday to celebrate the life of the adventurer.

His fiancée, Anna O’Loughlin, who was among the group of around 20 people who were with Ian on Mount Kilimanjaro when the freak accident occurred, remains on crutches and had to be helped in and out of the church.

A smiling photo of Ian sat on his coffin throughout the service, which was attended by people from all walks of life, including RTÉ’s Kathryn Thomas, social diarist Lorraine Keane, and the AA’s Conor Faughnan.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny was represented by his aide de camp, Comdt Michael Treacy. Chief celebrant Fr Liam Belton also welcomed Rob Frank from Tanzania who, he said, climbed with Ian.

Perhaps best known for scaling some of the world’s highest peaks, Ian, from Lough Dan, Roundwood, regularly mentored hikers, including secondary school students, through his Kilimanjaro Achievers organisation. Many of them attended his funeral.

Fr Belton said Ian was a “very charismatic person, a person who showed great enthusiasm for everything he approached”.

“There are many people here who know what the word challenge means because of Ian. Taking up a challenge was second nature to him.” Fr Belton said death had come to Ian “like a thief in the night, suddenly and without warning”.

In a moving eulogy, lifelong friend David Burke said Ian was a diverse person.

“Having a friend like Ian was never conventional,” he said, adding that although friends might not see the adventurer for periods of time “he was never far from our hearts”.

He recalled how Ian had a deep love of the music of Fleetwood Mac and Elton John.

Mr Burke recalled tales of how Ian had cycled to school in the coldest of weather with a “thin grey shirt, no jumper and a big hairy chest and remember he was just 14 or 15 at the time”.

He said Ian was the first boy in their class to start shaving, the first boy whose voice broke and, “less coolly, the first to get spots”.

“Ian never needed to be in a gang or a clique,” he said. “He just got on with everyone. He had enough energy as a gang of five.”

Close friend Gordon Mac An Bhaird said Ian’s health and safety record was impeccable.

“Ian’s death is the first and only serious incident on Kilimanjaro during Ian’s 35 treks up the mountain,” said Mr Mac An Bhaird, adding that “Ian’s life certainly made for good viewing”.

Ian’s sister Denise, speaking for her parents, Neil and Aedeen, said they “can’t imagine life without him”, adding that Ian was “never more than a phone call away despite his crazy schedule”.

“He will be sadly missed by my mother and father, who were so proud of his achievements,” she said. “I’m proud to call him my big brother.”

A guard of honour was formed by players from St Peregrine’s Gaelic Athletic Club in Dublin. One sportsman put the club scarf on top of the coffin.

Ian’s remains were cremated immediately after his funeral mass at a private ceremony.