Never once did Tom Crean give an interview to a journalist or an author. Cooking was done over an open fire. Imagine no light, heat, computers, p.e. Schools were also very different to today. Life was tough, his family lived in harsh and poverty-stricken conditions on their farm. There were no telephones and no cars. Born in 1877 in Annascaul on the Dingle Peninsula in County Kerry, Tom Crean was one of ten children. Born on March 25, 1966, his zodiac sign is Aries. Contact us: [email protected], © Copyright 2019 - Ireland Before You Die | Trading under Emerald Green Media. World War I had broken out during the expedition and Crean spent the rest of the conflict at Chatham Naval Barracks in England and in Queentown (now Cobh) in County Cork. The ship became trapped in ice in January 1915, eventually being crushed by ice and sinking in November of the same year. Born in Gortacurraun, outside Annascaul, he attended Brackloon National School until the age of 12, when he started work on the family farm. Schools were also very different to today. However, as Crean never spoke to anyone about his expeditions, there are little records about it apart from the logs kept during them. Tom Crean’s Early Years 3 posts Before Tom Crean set out on his first expedition to Antarctica in December 1901, his time in the Navy until he walked up the gangplank of RRS Discovery had been pretty eventful yet its a period in the timeline of his career that has never before been explored. All rights reserved. halls etc. Crean made an 18 hour trek in desperate conditions to save the life Lieutenant Evans, a feat for which he was awarded the Albert Medal. Tom Crean (20 July 1877 – 27 July 1938) was a member of three Antarctic expeditions in the early twentieth century. Aboard the Endurance, they faced enormous sea swells and high winds which caused the ship to sink. In 1910 Crean was recruited by Scott for his Terra Nova Expedition. Life in Ireland at that time was very different to life today. At various points along the journey, teams were sent back until all but eight remained. 2020 © GoKerry.ie | All Rights Reserved. Life was hard and so Tom joined the Royal Navy at the age of 15, by the age of 22 in 1899, he had worked his way up to the rank of Petty Officer. How to plan a trip to Ireland (in 9 steps), Irish boy names that nobody can pronounce, Ireland Before You Die (IB4UD) is the biggest Irish travel and culture website. There was no electricity. Whether it is due to primary school history or having been through Kerry at some point, many Irish people recognise the name, Tom Crean. At the age of 12, Crean dropped out of school to help out on the family farm, as the family’s survival depended on the crop yield. His parents were poor farmers who worked hard to feed their ten children. It is no wonder that Tom Crean is our Irish hero of the week! Schools were also very different to today. Crean played four years of basketball at Michigan. Crean played four years of basketball at Michigan. Tom Crean was born in Annascaul in Co. Kerry in 1877. In 2000 Michael Smith wrote the book Tom Crean – Unsung Hero, and in July 2003 a statue of Tom Crean sculpted by Eamon O’Doherty was unveiled in a small memorial garden in the centre of the village over the road from the South Pole Inn. Aoife O'Mara is a travel-hungry 21-year-old from East Clare. A campaign to have Kerry Airport officially renamed in memory of legendary Antarctic explorer Tom Crean is gathering great momentum and the idea is being actively considerated by the airport board. Crean took part in five major and treacherous journeys as part of the Discovery expedition. While having never made it to the South Pole, Crean played a crucial role in the discovery of Antarctica. When they were 150 miles short of the South Pole, Scott ordered Crean and two other men to return to Cape Evans. Tom Crean (1877 – 1938) the intrepid Antarctic explorer and one of Ireland’s unsung heroes is brought to life in this dramatic and humorous solo performance by Aidan Dooley. Born in Gortacurraun, outside Annascaul, he attended Brackloon National School until the age of 12, when he started work on the family farm. One of ten siblings, he attended the local Catholic school (at nearby Brackluin), leaving at the age of 12 to help on the family farm. The expedition sat sail on board the Endurance in 1914. On January 4th, 1912 they waved off the five members of the Polar Party who were never to be seen alive again. Although the Polar Party were narrowly beaten at being the first people to reach the geographic South Pole, they would never have made it without Crean. This veteran personality holds an American nationality and is of white ethnicity. Here is everything you need to know about our Irish hero of the week: Tom Crean. A year after returning from the Terra Nova expedition under the eye of Shackleton, Crean returned to Antarctica.