MEMORIAL CLIMB: Laura Griffin, her boyfriend Luke Stuart-Mills, and Denise Buckley, pictured with family and friends, climbed five mountains in five days in memory of Tom Griffin.

By Michelle Crean

It's the challenge of a lifetime - climbing almost 12,000 feet up five mountains in five days for charity - and it's all in memory of local man Tom Griffin who died at the young age of just 52 years.

Tom's daughter Laura Griffin, her boyfriend Luke Stuart-Mills, and aunt Denise Buckley decided to take on the mammoth challenge 'Following Tom': Memorial Charity Fundraiser as a tribute to him as he was an avid outdoors-man, who loved to walk, hike, swim, and generally adventure in his time off. Sadly Tom died after having a haemorrhage while kite-surfing on his holidays in Portugal in June last year.

On Monday Laura and crew began their first climb up Mangerton Mountain, one of her dad's favourite mountains, followed by Torc on Tuesday. On Wednesday they planned to climb Tomies, but due to difficulties accessing it, they instead climbed just over the equivalent height on Purple Mountain. Yesterday (Thursday) they set up once again and completed Strickeen, and will today (Friday) finish off the whole adventure by completing a climb up Carrauntoohil.

"It's been absolutely fantastic and we've been blessed with the weather," Laura told the Killarney Advertiser yesterday.

"We're trying to commemorate and honour dad's life and picked the mountains he enjoyed doing. Dad was 6ft 2" and had a long stride we had to chase him up the mountain which is why it's called 'Following Tom'. It's one of those things, it's sad but through the sadness we wanted a way to honour him and remember the good times."

Tom was well known in Killarney but relocated to Kildare as he was working as a Senior Manager at Intel.

His wife Michelle is also from Killarney.

Laura has so far raised over €12,000 through a GoFundMe page for Killarney Water Rescue, Kerry Mountain Rescue Team and the Kenya Education Project.

However, she added that there is a glitch which says the funding is at over €15k due to an error when someone donated and the page hasn't yet been updated.

She added a huge thanks to everyone who has donated so far.
"There has been amazing support by everyone, the response has been lovely."

To donate, go to GoFundMe: 'Following Tom': Memorial Charity Fundraiser