AN OFFALY man has become the first serving member of An Garda Síochána and the oldest Irish mountaineer to make the summit of Everest.
Garda Martin Byrne (58), of Harcourt Street station in Dublin, made the ascent with two Sherpa guides by the North Ridge route from Tibet after three unsuccessful attempts in previous years.
“I am just a bit worried about the fact that I’m going to be several weeks late back to work,” he told The Irish Times, speaking from Nepal. Garda Byrne reached the summit with Lakpa Sherpa and Ngima Sherpa on May 26th at 11.30am, but only confirmed it when he reached Kathmandu.
He is believed to be one of just a handful of police who have climbed the world’s highest mountain, with Indo-Tibetan border policewoman Santosh Yadav having done so twice.
Garda Byrne said he was “devastated” when he heard of the death of Laois man John Delaney, who died on May 21st just 50m from the summit. “John was a very light-hearted, witty and good-humoured man, and we had a lot of chats as we were both climbing the same route.” He was on the North Col when he heard the news. His own group retreated from its summit bid on May 20th when a Sherpa got sick.
Garda Byrne had communicated the news to his mother, Kathleen Byrne, at home in Coolderry, Co Offaly, and to family members. He isn’t a member of the Garda mountaineering club. But “I did tell the lads in the station”, he said.
