The man who collapsed and died as he began climbing Croagh Patrick on Tuesday last was a gynaecologist based in Chicago.

An inquest in Castlebar was told that the man’s wife was about to take a photograph of him as they began their ascent of the mountain when he collapsed and died.

He’s been named as 48 year old Dr Thomas Connolly of Briarswood Avenue, Wassaugh.

Dr. Thomas Connolly along with his wife, Dr. Kim Connolly, and a group of medical friends from the U.S. arrived at the base of Croagh Patrick on Tuesday morning intending to climb.

But at St. Patrick’s Statue, at the start of the ascent, Dr. Connolly was said to have  ‘looked like he was having a seizure’ and fell over.

He died at the scene despite the efforts of his wife, friends and HSE paramedics who were called to the scene to save him.

Fr. Charlie McDonnell, administrator of Westport parish, rushed to the scene where he administered the last rites.

A brief inquest was conducted by the Coroner for south Mayo, Mr. John O’Dwyer on Tuesday evening in order to facilitate the repatriation of the remains.

Dr. Kim Connolly told the coroner that she was about to take a picture of her husband when he ‘looked like he was having a seizure” and fell down.

Dr. Connolly said her husband , who had lost a lot of weight over the past year, had been on medication for blood pressure. On the morning of the proposed climb, he had not been complaining of his health.

Of their reasons for climbing the mountain, Dr. Connolly said: “We both wanted to do it both for physical exercise and the beauty (of the mountain)”.

Dr. Fadel Bennani, consultant pathologist at Mayo General Hospital, who carried out a post mortem, told the inquest Dr. Connolly had died ‘suddenly and peacefully’ from acute coronary occlusion.