Noel Hanna is huge loss to world of mountaineering and every bit as big a loss to village of Dromara

It is there Noel – a former RUC man, bodyguard and personal trainer – will be buried.

Parish priest in Dromara Peter McNeill said: “Dromara is a very small village – he was very well known here, he lived in the Finnis townland.

“I’d heard a number of years ago the local GAA club were doing a step challenge, and Noel said he would add his steps to the local GAA club. He’s walking over mountains so it certainly helped.

"They’re a very small club, and they were competing with bigger clubs because of his steps.

"It’s those little things that gave him his stature as well as his record-breaking achievements at some of the world’s highest mountains.”

Mountain and fell runner Zak Hanna, who like his namesake is also from Dromara, described Noel as “a gentleman, a friend, a neighbour and a hero”.

Zak said: “He was a man who shared the same passion for the mountains as I do. It was all we spoke about when we met in Dromara.”

On one of his visits to the village several years ago Noel called into Dromara Primary School to give a talk to pupils.

Principal Andrew Armstrong said: “He was such an inspiration to the kids. They were fascinated by the stories he was able to tell them. He enthused them about the outdoors.

"To learn that somebody from their own village had done what he had done shows what we can achieve with hard work and determination.”

Noel had also returned to his former school Dromore High on a number of occasions to recount his adventures.

The school said: “Whilst a student at the school he had a reputation for being a ‘treat to teach’ and was known for his smile and sense of humour. Noel has also been described as ‘humble’ and ‘a legend’ and we extend our very genuine condolences to the entire Hanna family circle believing with others that part of his legacy will be found in the inspiration he has given to others.”

After Noel died on his descent from Annapurn in Nepal his wife Lynne posted that “after a successful summit he returned to the tent took some hot soup and fell asleep never to awaken again”.

She said: “It was his time to go and he died in the Himalayas, what better place for my Mountain Man. Sleep well Noel.”

On May 21, 2016 the pair had become the first married couple to summit Mount Everest from both the Nepal south side and the Tibet north side of the mountain. Everest was a mountain that Noel knew well have climbed to its summit on 10 occasions.

His funeral details have not yet been released but it is understood he will be laid to rest in the townland of Finnis.