Be sure to pop in and have a pint of his namesake in his honor. Today in Irish History: 27 July 1938 - Death of Atarctic Explorer, Kerry born Tom Crean Death of Antarctic explorer Tom Crean who was born in Gortacurraun, Annascaul Co. Kerry in 1877. Crean joined the Royal Navy at a young age. He was one of the crew selected by Captain Robert Scott for his ill-fated expedition to the South Pole. Crean and two others were ordered by Scott to return to base camp within 150 miles of their goal. Though devastated at the time, the decision obviously saved his life. Crean’s expertise and toughness was then recognized by Ernest Shackleton in his valiant efforts to sled across the Antarctic in 1915-16. Crean retired in 1920 and returned to Co. Kerry where he lived in relative anonymity despite (or maybe because of) being a recipient of the Albert Medal and three Polar Medals, In the madness that often permeates Irish history, Crean’s brother Cornelius Crean, a sergeant in the Royal Irish Constabulary, was shot dead by the IRA in County Cork on 25 April, 1920. IrishMedals.org writes “Sergeant Cornelius Crean who was struck by four bullets, a married man his wife ran a small hotel on King’s Street Cork. He was a native of Annascaul County Kerry and had served with the RIC for twenty eight years, He was a well known sportsman and had played in the Munster Rugby Cup matches with the Cork Constitution Team.” Photo: Tom Crean Antartic 1911.
Posted on: Sat, 27 Jul 2013 17:20:30 +0000
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