Thousands of climbers heading for the Kerry mountains this week were warned that "a moment's inattention" can have drastic consequences. The warning comes after a young Co Cork climber fell to his death on St Stephen's Day on Ireland's highest mountain.
The dead man was named yesterday as Warren O'Brien (23), from Cobh, Co Cork.
An experienced climber, Mr O'Brien died while attempting the challenging Howling Ridge ascent to the summit of Carrauntoohil.
Two other men who were with the dead man were airlifted to safety.
Mr Gerry Christie of the Kerry Mountain Rescue Service said yesterday: "Always bear in mind that the whole experience of a life-time, the whole pleasure of years on the mountains can be thrown away by something as simple as just a moment's inattention."
The last fatality from a fall on Carrauntoohil occurred in April 1994. In May 1999, a walker on the mountain suffered a heart-attack and died. Since 1966, the year Kerry Mountain Rescue was formed, there have been 10 deaths on the mountain as well as a number of deaths on nearby peaks.
Meanwhile, the Kerry rescue services were called out yesterday to assist two windsurfers in separate incidents.
Fenit Lifeboat was called to aid a surfer off Castlegregory in Tralee Bay and local rescue services were called for help at Lamb's Head.