It is with truly immense sadness that on 18 June we lost one of our own, Davey Andrews, in a tragic accident at Fair Head.
Many of us were fortunate enough to call him a friend, and Davey was a true friend, kind and dependable to a fault. A rock – the sort of person who appears hewn out of a boulder of Mourne granite.
Davey was quiet but assured – he was one of these people you’d see down at the Ozone climbing away and looked like he’d been doing it all his life. When the club started up in 2017 and he came along we got to know him – he’d only taken up the sport 10 years ago after a bad motorbiking accident but climbed with a steadiness and talent that but climbers less than half his age to shame. Davey loved climbing. If he didn’t have a partner, he’d top-rope solo classics in the Mournes, and he was as happy seconding VS as he was leading E2. Even Kyle couldn’t put him off with a 1-pitch ascent of the classic E3, Jolly Roger. He had a number of first ascents to his name, including Sound of Silence and Disturbed at Lower Cove.
Davey had nothing to prove. Once you took the time to get to know him you found beneath his stoic, unflappable exterior a kind man with a big heart who gave generously of his time and understanding and sought no elevation or recognition for it – just the odd belay! From Davey you never got judgment or felt unwelcome – mind you he had no trouble expressing himself, between his dry humour and sharp wit.
His keen analytical mind made him a natural climber, but as well as a mountain biker he as an accomplished runner too – he once climbed Slieve Donard 10 times in one weekend, covering the height of Everest. He always recorded the Moto GP if it was on while he was climbing and of course nothing could stop him getting home in time on a Sunday for pizza with Mabel. Davey didn’t wear his heart on his sleeve, but his eyes lit up when he spoke of his grandchildren, and even climbing couldn’t get in the way of him seeing them.
Climbers in Ireland are a small community and the loss of anyone is a tragedy for everyone, particularly in circumstances like this. Climbers in Northern Ireland are an even smaller family and I wasn’t the only one whose heart sank to the pit of their stomach on seeing the news on Thursday that a climber had died at Fairhead – given the current travel restrictions we knew it was one of our own, and from the description part of me knew it was Davey but hoped beyond hope that it wasn’t, or that the news had got it wrong, or that it was all a mistake. But then the phonecalls started, and a community, in a hundred houses and kept apart by Covid, grieves for our friend. Our grief is nothing compared to that of Mabel and the family and we will do what we can to support them. I hope we can show what he meant to us. When the current restrictions are over, we will honour him properly.
Goodbye Davey.
The funeral is private but we will be giving Davey a guard of honour as he leaves the funeral home.
If you want to take part please be at Melville Morgan funeral directors in Bangor at 2pm on Tuesday 23 June.
Rónán