Kerry mountaineer Mr Mike Barry has become the first Irishman to walk to the South Pole after a 700-mile trek that lasted over 50 days.
Mr Barry (50) was part of an international expedition that reached 90 degrees south at about 3 a.m. Irish time yesterday.
Although exhausted, the group made a final push to cover the last 16 miles in one day, and were "utterly relieved" to glimpse the lights of the Amundsen-Scott research station.
"We arrived at a large construction site as they are building a new research base here," Mr Barry told The Irish Times by satellite phone. "Hercules planes were flying materials in, and it was all quite surreal."
The group placed their hands on the symbolic stainless steel ball marking the South Pole, and were then given a short tour of the station before enjoying a "celebratory beverage".
The group then pitched their tents outside, crawled into their sleeping bags and fell asleep.
They hoped to be flown out last night from the research station and back to Hercules Inlet, from where they had departed on December 1st.
"It is a seven-hour flight over 730 miles, with a refuelling stop at the Thiels mountains en route, so that gives an indication of the ground we covered," Mr Barry said.
Mr Barry's wife, Mags, and their three children, Michelle (13), Aron (11) and Kay (2), were celebrating at home in Tralee yesterday morning, but went to school as usual.
"I don't know when Mike will get back now because they will have to wait for a flight out of Hercules Inlet to Argentina, but we will be very glad to see him home," said Mags. Mr Barry said his experience was "like doing the reek walk in Kerry every day of the week, in wind and snow and freezing temperatures, with an enormous pack on your pack".
