An Irish man has died attempting to reach the summit of Everest.
John Delaney (41) from Kilcock, Co Kildare, is understood to have collapsed less than 50 metres from the top. He is the first Irish man to die on the world's highest mountain.
The climber, managing director of an online market prediction company, died on Saturday but because his team was out of contact it has only just been confirmed.
Mr Delaney - who also had two young sons, Caspar, three, and two-year-old Alexander - died without knowing his wife Orla gave birth to a baby girl last Wednesday.
Orla's brother Liam Hurley said she was planning to call the baby Hope. "The one person who can describe him best is the one person who can't speak at the moment, and that's Orla," said Mr Hurley.
"He was a generous, loving guy - the family came first for him." Mr Delaney and his wife were married five years ago. He had been mountaineering for several years and was attempting to conquer Everest after a failed bid five years ago.
His body will remain on Everest because it would be too dangerous for the rest of his team to bring it back to base.
"He adored his two children, and he spent as much time as he could with them," said Mr Hurley. "It's just a shame he's not going to get to meet the third." He was originally from Ballinakill, Co Laois, where his mother still lives. He also leaves a brother and a sister.
Irish adventurer Pat Falvey, who knew Mr Delaney and has been in contact with Everest base camp about the tragedy, said it was the first Irish death on Everest.
"John was a passionate adventurer who loved challenge and mountains. He will be sadly missed by all his family and friends," he said.
Mr Delaney was among a team of 18, including one US and six Russian climbers, eight Sherpas and two other guides. They left a camp at 8,300 metres last Friday evening in a bid to scale the final section of the notorious peak.
After he got into difficulties, Sherpas helped Mr Delaney down the mountainside, but attempts to resuscitate him failed. Mr Delaney left for the expedition on April 9th.
It was separate from the team involving Mark Quinn (26), who became the youngest Irish man to reach the Everest summit at the weekend.
Mr Hurley appealed for Mr Delaney's family to be given the privacy to deal with their grief.
PA