| First Name |
Ger
|
| Last Name |
McDonnell
|
| Full Name at Birth |
Gerard McDonnell
|
| Alternative Name |
Gerard McDonnell, Gers
|
| Birthday |
20th January, 1971
|
| Birthplace |
Kilcornan, County Limerick, Ireland
|
| Died |
2nd August, 2008
|
| Place of Death |
K2, Karakoram range, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan.
|
| Cause of Death |
He died in an ice avalanche on his descent from K2 in Pakistan after successfully rescuing three stricken climbers.
|
| Build |
Average
|
| Eye Color |
Blue
|
| Hair Color |
Red
|
| Distinctive Feature |
His last blog entry read, "Let luck and good fortune prevail!"., ''He was one of those people that walked into a room and had an energy about him that was contagious''., ''He had a presence about him, he was quick with a smile and a greeting and you could tell right away it was genuine''., ''Gerard was truely one of the best individuals I have ever met a true salt of the earth kinda guy''., ''I too have some very fond memories of this very good humored and very good looking red head in our class''., ''There are but a few men such as Ger produced in each generation, so I'm proud to say I knew such a true adventurer, a modern day Tom Crean''., ''Ger once described himself to me in college as a "mad limerick feicker" He certainly proved that on many occasions''., ''Ger, you will be sadly missed. He made an impression on all those he met. Who else would bring a bodhran to the top of a seriously large mountain !! ''
|
| Zodiac Sign |
Capricorn
|
| Sexuality |
Straight
|
| Ethnicity |
White
|
| Nationality |
Irish
|
| Occupation Text |
Mountaineer, electronic engineer, blogger
|
| Occupation |
Daredevil
|
| Claim to Fame |
The only Irish person to conquer K2.
|
| Music Genre (Text) |
Gaelic
|
| Year(s) Active |
1999-1999 (awardee: he won an award for helping five exhausted climbers down Denali), 1997-???? (electronic engineer: in Alaska, USA), 1994-1994 (emigrant: earned US visa & moved to Baltimore), 1997-1997 (relocated: to Alaska)
|
| Instrument (text) |
bodhran (an Irish frame drum)
|
| Associated Acts |
Last Night's Fun
(an Irish band)
|
| Pets |
Gertie McDonnell
(mother), Marco Confortola
(K2 co-climber), Wilco van Rooijen
(K2 co-climber), Annie Starkey
(wife), Perma (Ger's Sherpa friend), Michael Maines
(motorbiking friend), Lisa Ainsworth
(DCU classmate), Mark K
(DCU classmate), Tom Mccormack
(DCU classmate), Peter Timmonns
(DCU classmate), Liam Ward
(DCU classmate), Paddy Kallewaard
(DCU classmate), Paddy Callaghan
(DCU classmate)
|
| Favorite Places |
Baltimore, USA, Alaska, USA, Kerry, Ireland, Anchorage, Alaska, USA
|
| Favorite Accessories |
KTM Motorcycle
|
Gerard McDonnell (20 January 1971 – 2 August 2008), mountaineer and engineer, was the first Irishman to reach the summit of K2, the second-highest mountain on Earth, in August 2008. He lost his life along with 10 other mountaineers following an avalanche on the descent, in the deadliest accident in the history of K2 mountaineering.
