On this day in 2008 (at 7.28pm to be precise) Clare O’Leary, consultant gastroenterologist at Tipperary University Hospital in Clonmel, became the first Irish woman to reach the South Pole.
Clare was also the first Irish woman to summit Mount Everest, a feat she achieved on 18 May 2004, and she was also the first Irish woman to climb the Seven Summits (the highest peak on each continent).
Born in Bandon, Dr. O’ Leary told the Irish Independent that as a child "I was always into the outdoors and as time went on, I wanted to do more, to take on more things. I love seeing new places, meeting people from different cultures. All of these trips are very different in their own way."
During their fifty-eight-day adventure in Antarctica Clare O’Leary, along with Pat Falvey, Shaun Menzies and Jonathan Bradshaw spent up to ten hours a day trekking across the frozen continent to reach the South Pole. The team trekked eleven hundred and forty kilometres across Antarctica’s snowy landscape, hauling their supplies on sleds behind them through sub-zero temperatures and snowstorms. ‘No matter how wrecked you are, you just have to keep pushing on’ said O’ Leary. You can watch the team return to a hero’s welcome at Cork airport at the following link: https://www.rte.ie/.../2022/1215/1342033-beyond-endurance/
Speaking afterwards Breda Kavanagh, South Tipperary General Hospital manager, said Clare was inspirational – “We are not surprised by this news. Dr. O’ Leary excels at everything she does but manages her achievements in a very low key and gentle manner. For this reason, she is a very popular member of our staff and we salute her.” Pat Falvey, who led the team said Clare was fit and hearty after the epic trek – “Clare is absolutely fine – it’s the men who have been carrying pains and knocks.”
Describing her final ascent to Everest in 2004, she said ‘it was very cold but we made slow steady progress and reached the summit at 6.45am on May 18, 2004. Summit day was really long but we were really lucky that it was a clear day with fabulous views once the sun came up. Reaching the summit was a really big deal for me at the time, especially when I had to turn back the previous year. It was amazing having a clear view at the summit, being surrounded by so many fabulous mountains… We had a fantastic Sherpa team, most of whom were friends from previous climb, and it was great to share that summit together. I also got to phone home, which I hadn’t expected, so that was great.’
Sources:
Irish Independent 09/01/2008, Front page
Irish Independent, Weekend Magazine 18/05/2024, p13.
Irish Independent 10/01/2008, p13.
https://www.rte.ie/.../2022/1215/1342033-beyond-endurance/
