A major operation to recover the body of a woman from the Comeragh mountains is underway.
37 year old Gillian Ryan from Thurles was last seen on Sunday at lunchtime as she set out to do the Coumshinghun loop.
Following an extensive multi-agency search, her body was discovered in a deep gully close to the top of the lake at around 6.30 yesterday evening.
Search parties remained with the body overnight.
Liz Browne, from the South East Mountain Rescue Association, told Damien Tiernan on Deise Today that the recovery party is operating in difficult conditions today, thanks to challenges posed by the terrain and the weather, with some gullies 150m deep.
"It's never an outcome that is good but at this stage we would take comfort in the fact that we have found her and we can bring her home. That is the best thing we can do now, to bring her back and give her back to her family."
Team members were back on the scene at 7am this morning to prepare for bringing the body back down from the mountain.
"The gullies that are around there aren't really something you'd come down unless you were an experienced climber or hiker," Ms Browne said. "Where she has fallen is a difficult area to access so team members will all be roped and harnessed for their safety because it is extremely steep ground to work on."
You can listen back to Liz Browne in full with Damien Tiernan below:
If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can freephone the Samaritans 24 hours a day for confidential support at 116 123 or email [email protected].
You can also freephone the national Bereavement Support Line run by the HSE and Irish Hospice Foundation at 1800 80 70 77 (Monday-Friday 10am-1pm).
In the case of an emergency, always dial 999/112.
