Cavan woman’s adventurous spirit lives on

A Bandon woman climbed to the Mount Everest base camp in memory of her mother.

Catherine Johnston O’Neill was born to Cavan natives Mary Johnston and Brian Johnston, the former Cavan County Manager.

“I did it in memory of my mam because she was a great woman for always saying - ‘If you’re sitting in the darkness, light a candle! Do what you want to do, go on adventures, live your life’,” she recalled, outlining her mother’s favourite sayings.

Mary Johnston passed away on April 7, 2022. Remembering her mother, Catherine mentioned hiking to the base camp of the world’s highest mountain to two university friends, to which both agreed.

Having arrived back to her home in County Cork, Catherine relayed her recent adventure.

The group landed in Lukla, known as one of the most dangerous airports in the world with a short runway, winds and mountainous terrain.

“It was very exciting,” said Catherine.

“You’re just flying into the Himalayas, the scenery was amazing,” she enthused.

It took the group seven days of walking to reach the base camp and three days to come down again. They began walking at around 5am each day and walked for seven to eight hours.

“It was tough enough as the air got thinner,” she said, explaining that at one stage she felt out of breath simply turning around in her sleeping bag.

On the way up, the three stayed in small, stove-heated wooden structures known as tea houses. All of their materials were brought up by yak, donkey or carried by themselves.

She described yaks as the “beast of burden”, which carried up “everything from gas canisters to food”.

She recalled the stillness and tranquillity of being in the Himalayas, with the sound of bells ringing signifying a group of yaks coming with materials.

“You begin to realise what you take for granted,” she said.

“There’s no cars, there’s no roads, everything is precious.”

Upon reaching base camp, Catherine saw people setting up to tackle the mountain.

“It put me off ever doing it,” she laughed, explaining how some people were using ladders to go over crevices.

“I’ve no ambition to go any higher,” she affirmed.

On the way back down, the group called into the world’s highest Irish pub in a village known as Namche Bazar.

“The yaks bring up kegs of Guinness every so often, but there was no Guinness when we were in it,” she laughed.

Throughout the experience, Catherine held her mother’s memory close to her heart.

“My kids still miss her because you could always have the craic with granny.”

Originally from Butlersbridge, Catherine’s mother lived in Cullies in Cavan and often made the four-hour journey to Bandon.

“She was a great woman for just getting in the car from Cavan, she’d stop off in the Horse and Jockey [in Tipperary] and she’d come down for the weekend.”

Catherine’s five kids also “loved going up to Cavan” to visit their granny.

“She was such great craic mam, and I said she always encouraged us to do stuff and be adventurous and live our lives to the full.”