[3] O'Leary made her name in mountaineering in 2004, when she became the first Irish woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest, having failed on her first attempt in 2003 due to gastroenteritis.
[2] She climbed as a member of the Wyeth Irish Everest Expedition, led by Pat Falvey.
[4] She also became the first Irish woman to ascend the Himalayan peak Ama Dablam and to climb the Seven Summits—the highest mountains on each continent.
[7] In 2013, the railway path between Bandon and Innishannon in County Cork was named the Dr Clare O'Leary Walk to commemorate her achievements.
[9] O'Leary lives in Clonmel,[10] and is in a relationship with Mike O'Shea, with whom she frequently partners for her expeditions.