LONG-SERVING Castletownbere Coast Guard member, Martin Sullivan, has made his mark on Hungry Hill, having summitted the mountain for the 1,000th time.

In the company of his daughter Emily, his son Damien, and 14 friends he climbed the 685m mountain on the Beara Peninsula over a leisurely three hours and 30 minutes.

It's nothing compared to the one-hour-thirty that Martin can achieve when he routinely scales Hungry Hill two or three times a week. 

Somewhere in the mid-90s, when he turned 30, Martin said he accepted an invitation to climb Hungry Hill with a group led by local publican Adrienne MacCarthy.

It was a Good Friday, and the pubs were shut, so it was as good an excursion as any, but Martin didn't bank on being bitten by the bug.

The mechanic, who is husband to Bernadette, father to Emily and Damien, and grandfather to Kate, said it had never dawned on him to climb it, he was just too busy. 

That Good Friday changed his life and gave him ​a unique advantage as a member of the local search and rescue team.

The 61-one-year-old has served as a member of Castletownbere Coast Guard for the last 32-years, 22 of which were as the officer in charge.

Martin stepped down from the lead role about six years ago​, but continues to be an active member of the Coast Guard, active being the operative word!

In the early years, Martin marked a milestone here and there by climbing Hungry Hill three or four times a year. But Covid allowed him the luxury of going off, up the hill, for sheer recreation.

'I started off very leisurely, but I kept at it and built it up. One year, I decided I'd do it once a week, but by 2020 I'd built it up to 100 that year, followed by 103 in 2021.

Marching up the hill and back down again so often means that he knows Hungry Hill like the back of his hand, which makes him an invaluable asset during search and rescue operations.

The simple fact is that Martin has climbed every conceivable route to the summit that he can find on the hill. That includes the eastern side, which he admits is the most dangerous, so he advises other climbers to exercise extreme caution and pick their route carefully. 

The reward for him is that there is some fantastic scenery at the Adrigole side off the ledges, looking down to the two lakes below.

Martin admits he climbs the mountain in all kinds of weather, even at night, just for the sheer joy of looking out over the jewelled lights spanning the Beara Peninsula. 

Emily Sheehan Martin O'Sullivan, Maurice Walsh, Damien Sullivan, Paul O'Shea. Maria O'Shea, Finbarr Sheehan and Pauliina Kauppila and (front row from left) Brian O'Connor, Saoirse O'Connor, Garry Minihane, Frank Quill and Ted Daly. Photo: Garry Minihane.

It is not something he would recommend to a novice. He said he'd even be slow to take someone with him because you don't know another person's limits.

In day-time, there is nothing to compare to the vista. He said anyone who climbs it gives thanks to whatever gods created it and spared the Beara Peninsula from pervasive tourism.

The 1,000th climb was marked with a picnic and a few bubbles at the brim – a 360-degree view that allows you to see Kerry, Cape Clear and Jeremy Irons' castle on a fine evening.

Walking in nature, or reaching any summit, brings with it a sense of euphoria, but Martin insists that anyone setting foot on a mountain must go prepared with a backpack filled with essential supplies, including a fully-charge phone so you can call for help.

'An accident could befall anyone but there is some good news in that on Hungry Hill there is full phone coverage,' said Martin, who has come to the assistance of numerous climbers who sustained fractures after falling, or simply got lost on the way home.

'I like the hill. I like going up there, but I am used to it, he said. 'Knowing the hill inside out helps me in my work with the Coast Guard. It has also helped to keep me fit because on every climb you use every muscle in your body.'