THE popular father-of-three who died after he fell while climbing on Carrauntoohil at the weekend has been laid to rest this Wednesday.
Ger Duffy, from Clonlara, Co Clare, fell from the crest of a ridge onto a ledge from Hag’s Tooth Ridge above Coimín Íochtar on Saturday afternoon.
The 59-year-old was a very experienced mountaineer but it is thought he might have fallen after he had gripped onto something while climbing and it crumbled in his hand.
A native of Limerick but living in Clare, Mr Duffy was accompanied by a friend at the time of the accident. A keen outdoors enthusiast who was very fit, he recently enjoyed a mountain climbing trip to Wales and a few short weeks ago he embarked on a motorcycle tour in Cambodia.
He is survived by his wife, Carmel, children Siobhán (24), Aisling (22) and Gavin (18), his mother Bernie, sisters Miriam, Ruth, Helen, Tessa, Maggie and Rachel and other relatives and friends.
Warm tributes to the popular family man were heard at the Requiem Mass which was celebrated this Wednesday morning at St Senan’s Church, Clonlara, Co Clare with burial afterwards in Teampaill Cemetery.
The family asked for donations, if desired, to be made to Kerry Mountain Rescue who have expressed their sympathies to Mr Duffy’s family.
They had been alerted by Killarney Gardai at 12.20pm on Saturday and his body was located at approximately 1.00pm.
Irish Coast Guard Helicopter 115 arrived from Shannon to assist but it was unable to reach the position of the casualty due to the complex nature of the terrain. The helicopter then airlifted four members of the rescue team and their equipment to the scene of the accident and a further 20 members of the rescue team were deployed on foot before Mr Duffy’s body was recovered.
© KillarneyToday.com is the 24/7 online news service provided by O’Mahony Media
