Mike O'Shea (adventurer)

{{Short description|Irish adventurer and safety consultant (born 1969)}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Mike O'Shea

| honorific_suffix = {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100%|FRGS}}

| image = Mike O'Shea Irish Adventurer.JPG

| caption = O'Shea skiing at Cape Discovery in 2012

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1969|12|2}}

| birth_name = Micheal O'Shea

| birth_place = Watford, England

| nationality = Irish

| occupation = {{Hlist|Adventurer|heights safety and rescue consultant}}

| website = {{URL|https://mikeoshea.ie/}}

}}

Mike O'Shea {{postnominals|country=GBR|FRGS}} (born 2 December 1969) is an Irish adventurer and safety consultant.

Career

=Mountaineering=

O'Shea's climbing career began at the age of 13 when he started climbing in the MacGillycuddy's Reeks near his home-place in County Kerry, Ireland. His adventurous spirit led him to be one of the first people in Ireland to gain the Gold Gaisce – The President's Award.{{cite web|url=http://www.gaisce.org/index.php/news/item/58-silver-award-participants/58-silver-award-participants|title=Home|work=GAISCE|access-date=28 April 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150406060450/http://www.gaisce.org/index.php/news/item/58-silver-award-participants/58-silver-award-participants|archive-date=6 April 2015|df=dmy-all}} From here he went on to climb extensively in the European Alps and internationally. He then went on to volunteer in Kerry Mountain Rescue for 10 years.

In 1991 O'Shea was part of an Irish Team who attempted the southwest ridge of Ama Dablam, one of whom ( Mick Murphy ) summited.{{cite web|url=http://aac-publications.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/aaj/1992/PDF/AAJ_1992_34_66_208d.pdf|title=Ama Dablam|work=American Alpine Journal|access-date=1 April 2015}}

O'Shea was part of the 1993 K2 West Ridge expedition ( also known as the Three Cups of Tea Expedition ){{cite web|url=http://www.alpinejournal.org.uk/Contents/Contents_1995_files/AJ%201995%2037-46%20Pratt%20K2.pdf|title=Against the Odds : The 1993 K2 West Ridge Expedition|work=Alpine Journal|access-date=1 April 2015}}

O'Shea has also climbed Aoraki / Mount Cook in New Zealand, spent 6 summers climbing in the Alps and climbed extensively in Papua.{{citation needed|date=April 2015}}

=Powered paragliding=

Having flown traditional paragliders for many years he took up Powered paragliding in 2009 and in the same year was one of the first people to fly cross the Irish Sea with one.{{cite web|url=http://paramotornews.com/2009/07/17/first-ever-crossing-of-the-irish-sea-by-paramotor-ireland-to-scotland-and-back/|title=First ever crossing of the Irish Sea by Paramotor : Ireland to Scotland and back|access-date=1 April 2015}} He also became the first person to fly the length of Ireland from Mizen Head to Malin Head in June 2014{{cite news|url=http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/flying-from-mizen-to-malin-by-paramotor-makes-history-270964.html|title=Flying from Mizen to Malin by paramotor makes history|first=Donal|last=Hickey|work=Irish Examiner|access-date=1 April 2015}}

=Adventure=

In 2012, O'Shea began a series of expeditions called The Ice Project aiming to cross all of the worlds major ice caps with fellow adventurer Clare O'Leary.{{citation needed|date=April 2015}}

O'Shea and O'Leary made an unsuccessful attempt to be the first Irish Team to walk to the North Pole in early 2012 . Logistics difficulties have been stated as the reason for the team aborting their attempt.{{cite news|url=http://www.thejournal.ie/irish-north-pole-duo-forced-to-turn-back-after-facing-e120k-bill-381984-Mar2012/|title=Irish North Pole duo forced to turn back after facing €120k bill|work=TheJournal.ie|access-date=1 April 2015}}

In November 2013, the pair completed a 19-day crossing of the Northern Patagonian Ice Field, becoming the first Irish team to do so.{{cite news|url=http://www.thecorknews.ie/articles/cork-explorer-makes-history-chile-8326|title=Cork Explorer Makes History in Chile|work=The Cork News|access-date=1 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160409111148/http://www.thecorknews.ie/articles/cork-explorer-makes-history-chile-8326|archive-date=9 April 2016|url-status=dead}} In March 2013, O'Shea and O'Leary walked the length of frozen Lake Baikal in Siberia – a 640 km trek, spending over 26 days on the ice.{{cite news|url=http://www.irishtimes.com/news/irish-adventurers-trek-640km-along-siberian-frozen-lake-1.1345702|title=Irish adventurers trek 640km along Siberian frozen lake|first=Lorna|last=Siggins|newspaper=The Irish Times|access-date=1 April 2015}}

Also in 2013, O'Shea crossed the Southern Kilimanjaro Icecap while guiding a number of groups up the mountain for Irish organisation Kilimanjaro Achievers following the death of Irish mountaineer Ian McKeever{{cite news|url=http://www.thestar.ie/star/plaque-tribute-to-tragic-ian-mckeever-30552|title=Plaque tribute to tragic Ian McKeever|work=Irish Daily Star|access-date=1 April 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150410122543/http://www.thestar.ie/star/plaque-tribute-to-tragic-ian-mckeever-30552/|archive-date=10 April 2015|df=dmy-all}}

In 2014, the team of O'Shea and O'Leary attempted to walk to the North Pole on an expedition dubbed the LifeProof Ice Project:{{cite web|url=http://www.lifeproof.com/blog/2014/01/the-lifeproof-ice-project/|title=The LifeProof Ice Project|access-date=1 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150418225755/http://www.lifeproof.com/blog/2014/01/the-lifeproof-ice-project/|archive-date=18 April 2015|url-status=dead}} this time the attempt was thwarted by injury to both adventurers.{{cite news|url=http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/injuries-force-irish-pair-to-abandon-north-pole-ice-attempt-262471.html|title=Injuries force Irish pair to abandon North Pole ice attempt|work=Irish Examiner|access-date=1 April 2015}}

=Film=

O'Shea is credited as Mountain Safety Team Leader for Star Wars: The Force Awakens,{{cite web | title=Mike O Shea IMDB | publisher=IMDb | url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8304022/?ref_=fn_al_nm_6 | access-date=5 September 2016}} Safety Supervisor and Expedition Leader for Star Wars: The Last Jedi{{cite web | title=Mike O Shea IMDB | publisher=IMDb | url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8304022/ | access-date=18 May 2018}} and Work At Height Supervisor for Mission: Impossible – Fallout{{cite web | title=Mike O Shea IMDB | publisher=IMDb | url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8304022/ | access-date=18 September 2018}}

References

External links

[http://theiceproject.org The Ice Project] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220630191026/http://www.theiceproject.org/ |date=30 June 2022 }}
{{Official website|https://mikeoshea.ie/}}

Category:1969 births

Category:Living people

Category:21st-century Irish explorers

Category:Fellows of the Royal Geographical Society

Category:Sportspeople from County Kerry

Category:Irish mountain climbers