'It is such an honour': School to be established in Africa in memory of popular Cork chef

James O’Connor, a chef at Cork restaurant Tony's Bistro, was 100m away from the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, when he died from severe altitude illness on December 5, 2023

James O’Connor, from Whitechurch in Co Cork, was 100m away from the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro when he died.

The widow of a Cork chef who died on his 40th birthday while climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania said a primary school is to be built in his memory.

James O’Connor, from Whitechurch in Co Cork, was 100m away from the summit when he died from severe altitude illness on December 5, 2023. He was a chef at the popular Cork restaurant Tony's Bistro.

The James O’Connor primary school in Sierra Leone is set to open next April, and James' eldest son Chris will be at the official opening.

His wife Grace told 96FM's Opinion Line her husband and their son shared a birthday — which is also the day that James died.

“It’s his birthday, James’s birthday, and James’s anniversary. You can’t prepare for something like that.”

“It was his 40th and Christopher’s 16th birthday. I had taken that day off of work as James was away and I wanted to bring the kids out for dinner. So we had a lovely day out. It was just a normal day.

"I was shopping and I got a phone call from James’s friend Alan who had done the trek with him. I heard his voice and I thought they had done it as they were meant to be at the summit.

"James wanted to be at the summit for his 40th. This was a goal he had and I was happy to support him in it.

"Alan said ‘Grace I don’t know how to tell you this. Jimmy is dead. He told me first he had a heart attack.’ I couldn’t believe it. I fell to my knees. My little girl was with me. It was so surreal. It still is some days.” 

Grace said James was very active, fit and healthy.

You have to get all of these checks done before you go. He was super fit. He was always out running. He used to get up at 5am.

"I am from Limerick. We live in Limerick. He would hit the road for Cork [where he worked at Tony’s Bistro].

"He would hit the gym before work. And then go in and do a full day’s work and drive home and on his day off he would get up have his run done and wake me up with a cup of coffee before I’d get out of bed.

"He even got me out running a few times. He felt great. He was at his healthiest and happiness. Basically [he died] of altitude sickness. It affected his lungs and he was unlucky. That is it.

Grace said a family friend is involved in the Schools Health Foundation in Sierra Leone and a decision was made to build a school in Sierra Leone in memory of James.

“I was so blown away by this. The thought of our little son going over there for the opening of that. It is so surreal, beautiful and such an honour. It is going to be schooling 300 children. A whole system will be set up. It is not just building a school. It will be maintained.

"I think through the experience of the loss of James I got to see life so differently. There is amazing people out there who do amazing things. This charity is one of them. I am honoured that his legacy will be way over in Sierra Leone.” 

Grace continues to live in Dooradoyle in Limerick with the couple’s children Chris, Lilly and James. Close to €39,000 was raised via a GoFund Me page set up to pay for the repatriation of his body back to Ireland.

Donations can be made to the James O’Connor primary school project  here, with a note in the comments to the effect of “James O’Connor school”, or here.