Rock-climbing grandfather Davey Andrews, 62, ‘put people half his age to shame’

The News Letter can reveal that the man who lost his life on Thursday at Fair Head was retired telecoms worker David ‘Davey’ Andrews.

He was from north Down and was aged 62.

A number of emergency service crews were dispatched to the scene of the rocky outcrop on the far north-eastern tip of the Province at roughly 1pm on Thursday, but he died at the scene.

Ronan Davison-Kernan, the president of the roughly 45-strong Belfast Climbing Club, said Mr Andrews had been one of their members.

“He was very experienced,” said 28-year-old Mr Davison-Kernan.

“He’s been climbing for more than 10 years. He was probably one of the most experienced climbers in the climbing club.

“He was an absolutely lovely guy – quiet and stoical.

“He was very kind and willing to give of his expertise and time.

“The climbing community across the whole island would be quite close, and he was well-known.

“I know he was a safe climber and a sensible climber. I very much doubt there was any recklessness.

“It’s like tearing the heart out of the whole local climbing community.

“He put people less than half his age to shame with his skill. He never had a bad word to say about anyone.

“He’s going to be very, very keenly missed.”

Mr Davison-Kernan said that he was a retired BT engineer, and had a wife – Mabel – two children, and several grandchildren.

He said that Fair Head is “considered one of the best climbing areas in the UK and Ireland put together” and “in recent years has been quite popular”.

This was echoed by Mark Pruzina, treasurer of the Belfast Association of Rockclimbers & Fellrunners, who likewise said that the Fair Head climb was “one of the best sea-cliff areas in the UK”, but that it is also “a challenging rockface”.

He recalled that years back someone had broken their neck at the spot, and that, given the physical nature of the sport, sadly “accidents do happen from time to time”.

It was not the only calamity to have unfolded on the north coast during the week.

On Tuesday a young man was “tombstoning” (jumping off high rocks into the sea) at Dunluce, about 15 miles to the west of Fair Head, but injured himself in the process and despite the best efforts of his friends and rescuers, he died.

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