An 82-year-old German woman sang It's A Long Way To Tipperaryfor her rescuers as she was accompanied down Ireland's highest mountain, Carrauntoohil, in the early hours yesterday.
The woman, Dr Ursala Dethinger, believed to be a medical doctor and from Germany's Mosel region, and a seasoned climber, had completed her third ascent of the peak earlier in the day.
She had last climbed the Carrauntoohil 13 years ago at the age of 69.
Accompanied by her son, Michael, also a medical doctor, and a 16-year-old family friend, the party ascended by the Devil's Ladder shortly after 10.30am on Tuesday. However the ladder is in an atrocious condition, steep and with loose scree, after summer's heavy rainfall.
On the descent she decided to go back up towards the summit and take a more gradual route along a solid track on the Caher or western side, along with the 16-year-old.
Her son, a man in his early 50s, accompanied them to the alternative route and returned by the "ladder" to their parked car and arrangements were made for a rendezvous.
When the pair failed to show as arranged he raised the alarm.
About 20 members of Kerry Mountain Rescue set out and the rescuers found them camped down for the night halfway up the mountain shortly after midnight.
"They did everything right," Brendan Coffey, spokesman for the rescue team said. Both the teenager and the woman were "in great spirits" he said.
The pair walked down the mountain with the rescuers and the lady leading the singing reaching terra firma at about 2.30am yesterday.
"She went around and she thanked each member of the team individually. That doesn't always happen," Mr Coffey said.
Another member of the rescue team described the woman as "tough", sprightly and great company and well able for another attempt at the mountain.