The first Irish man to climb Mount Everest paid glowing tributes at Belvedere House, Gardens and Park last Friday night, 15 May, to the legacy Mullingar gave to climbing the world’s highest mountain.
Dawson Stelfox was the main speaker at a function in the covered courtyard at Belvedere, organised primarily by Mullingar man, Michael Duffy, during which a permanent wall panel display showing the Mullingar and Belvedere connection to climbing Mount Everest was displayed.
It was 22 years ago that Dawson Stelfox was the leader of the successful Irish expedition to scale Everest, and he gave an illustrated talk in Belvedere on Friday night before he unveiled the permanent Everest display there.
ROOF OF THE WORLD
The unassuming Belfast man not only detailed features and difficulties of his own successful 1993 expedition to the ‘roof of the world’ and the summit of Everest, but his illustrated talk was just as much a tribute to the legendary Mullingar mountaineers, Col. Charles Howard-Bury (Belvedere) and Anthony Adams Reilly, both of whom now feature prominently in the visual display in the covered courtyard in Belvedere.
Both of these Mullingar men made significant contributions to mountaineering during the 19th and early 20th centuries, and Dawson Stelfox made no secret of his admiration for them, detailing the difficulties and hardships they had to go through, which were similar to those encountered by his own expedition.
MINUTE’S SILENCE
The evening’s proceedings were introduced by the main organiser of the night, Michael Duffy, Mullingar, and appropriately, he began by asking for prayers and a minute’s silence for all who had died recently on Everest and as a result of the devastating earthquakes in Nepal over the previous two weeks.
Mr. Duffy gave an overview of the evening’s talks, concluding with the unveiling of the permanent display of photos, illustrations and history of the 1921 Expedition to Everest, led by Charles Howard-Bury.
The Mullingar connection and that of Belvedere was expanded in detail by mountaineering enthusiast, Kevin Higgins, formerly of Mullingar and now living in Kilkenny.
Mr. Higgins availed of extensive slides and old photos of the Mullingar and Irish explorers of Everest, with particular emphasis on Charles Howard-Bury and Anthony Adams Reilly.
UNIQUE OCCASION
Also highlighting the Belvedere and Mullingar connections was Mullingar author and historian, Marian Keaney, an acknowledged authority on Col. Howard-Bury and life and times at Belvedere over the centuries.
The unique occasion in Belvedere last Friday night was enhanced by a very large attendance of people not only from the greater Mullingar area but from all over Ireland and beyond.
Among those present was Peter O’Connell, who also successfully climbed Everest, while also in attendance was Jonathan Shackleton, a great-grandson of the internationally famous explorer, Sir. Ernest Shackleton.
ALL YEAR AROUND
After the illustrated talks, the speakers, led by Dawson Stelfox, unveiled the permanent Everest display, highlighting the roles of Charles Howard-Bury and Anthony Adams Reilly in the 1921 Expedition, and the Belvedere, Mullingar connection.
Michael Duffy thanked all who attended and paid tribute to Westmeath County Council and to Maurice Stenson and his staff at Belvedere.
Mr. Dufy pointed out that the new Everest display can be viewed all year around by those visiting Belvedere House, Gardens and Park, Mullingar.
