HILLwalkers and climbers have been warned not to rely on modern satellite guidance technology following the death of a woman in Mayo earlier this year.

Margaret Sweeney, an experienced climber who had travelled the world, died tragically when she slipped during a climb on Ben Bury mountain last June.

While Sweeney, who was with her husband Colm Magee, had been using a hand-held GPS device on the day, it is unclear exactly what role it played in the accident.

However, the inquest heard Colm Byrne of the Mayo Mountain Rescue team advise climbers against relying on the fashionable new technology in the place of the more traditional method of map and compass.

Speaking to the Sunday Tribune, Byrne explained: "That type of [GPS] technology is dangerous to be relying on because it might point you in the direction of where you want to go but it won't tell you what is in between. It could be a cliff."

Last week's inquest was also told that Sweeney had been in touch with the Ordnance Survey of Ireland urging it to upgrade the maps used on GPS handheld systems that she was using.

An Ordnance Survey spokesman said : "I think the issue is with the GPS – it depends what device you have. It's not a signal about mapping. It's an issue of what kind of signal you are getting from satellites."

The debate between climbers on the reliability of developing GPS technology is mixed. Some say there can be too much reliance on it while others insist it offers considerable advantages.

"I would think that the problem would be that you buy the thing and you don't know how to use it," said Pat Dignam of Mountaineering Ireland.

"Everybody who needs it at first will have a certain learning curve."