Hundreds of people have welcomed home the first Irish woman to climb Mount Everest at Cork Airport today.
Dr Clare O'Leary a 32-year-old doctor from Bandon, County Cork, reached the summit of Mount Everest two weeks ago on her second attempt.
"It's a huge sense of excitement and honour and pride," she said. "It was brilliant to sit there and hold the Irish flag. "It was definitely the best 20-minutes of my life."
The expedition leader Mr Pat Salvey said he had cried with emotion when she reached the top. "There were times when she wanted to give up. But we knew she had it in her," he said.
Schoolchildren waved posters and the St Patrick's pipe band from Bandon escorted the climbers through the airport.
Ms O'Leary said she was overwhelmed by the welcome. On a previous expedition last year she had to turn back from the summit of Mount Everest due to altitude sickness.