Newly added content 15/Feb/'06: Maeve's radio interview during '04 trip (click on Play symbol)

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Tom Crean did not reach The South Pole like Amundsen and Scott but instead a bar he could have called Tom Crean’s he purposefully named “The South Pole Inn” thus every morning in his remaining quiet years of retirement in Annascaul he could wake up at ‘his’ South Pole.

 Tom Crean sixty six years ago had a most untimely death, he left Annascaul once more in body but I feel his spirit still here on many occasions.

In the room that was Tom’s bedroom on December 12th 2001, the Tom Crean Society was formed with the aim to preserve and promote the memory of this truly courageous Irishman. Many say the Hero of the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration.

The years since 2001 have seen a vibrant steady bustle of activity in the village, a striking life size bronze memorial of Tom placed on land donated by his daughters, their ‘Auntie Kate’s house and every Sunday she gave thanks for the man that put the food on their table, yes, Tom Crean. The Society planned their annual midwinter dinner, guest lectures, slide shows, The one man show was performed, then before we knew where we where the launch of The First Tom Crean Society Adventure to Antarctica to leave from ‘The South Pole Inn’ January 19th 2004.

 Almost two years in the planning and looking back I can hardly believe we really where there and the adventure is still being talked about with several tongue in cheek references to the Titanic being batted round the pub! If you told me back in 2001 that I would be standing on the quay on a sunny January day in Ushuaia, the ‘Fin Del Mundo’ (end of the world) about to board my ship for a three week adventure to Antarctica, I would have said, “yeh right how could I afford that”

 A group from Ireland all members of the Society came together with the once unthinkable dream to travel to Antarctica and with them take a lasting memorial tribute to Tom to be placed in the museum at Grytviken, South Georgia. There where several reasons we chose to travel with Fathom expeditions the two biggies were the exciting chance to sail in their replica James Caird and to attempt a landing on Elephant Island. Also on our wish list where to visit the Falkland Island Government archives, land at Cape Cove, hike to the Shackleton Gap from Peggotty Bluff, and of course land on the Antarctic continent.  Most if not all of these aims where achieved with the earnest help of Dave German, Expedition leader and Director of Fathom Expeditions.

The story of  the memorial stone starts at Minard strand near Annascaul, a beautiful storm washed boulder was chosen from this strand the place where Tom Crean left in 1893 to join the British Navy. The stone was the centrepiece for the last Society Mid winter dinner and soon afterwards shipped to the Falkland Islands where we would bring it onboard ship when we reached Port Stanley.

 We boarded the Polar Star on January 23rd along with 83 other passengers, crew and expedition staff, set sail leaving by the Beagle Channel with an electic sunset the likes I have never seen in Ireland even off the Blaskets. We got our land legs on a fabulous guided walk near Ushuaia to a glacial lagoon via many beaver dams, the jagged mountains all around us I have promised to return and properly climb the next visit.

Back on the Polar star myself and my two cabin companions got on famously thank goodness as our tiny room was home for the next three weeks. Two of us took two days to get our sea legs and once we did being on the high seas was a pleasure not such and endurance test. After two days at sea we landed on West Point Island to see up close, Black browed Albatrosses and Rockhopper penguins followed by a grand High tea by the Island owner Roddy who brought back memories of landing on Tory off Donegal, Roddy was the King of West Point. Carcass islands another landing to check out Magellanic penguins that live in burrows and you could easily pass hours watching their antics from a distance, which we all had to adhere to. Crystal blue seas, sunshine, yet another High tea with the islanders, is this on route to Antarctica or what?

Arriving into Stanley as the locals call it on a mad blustery day with the multicoloured roofs of the houses had us all on the bridge watching the Captain Enderson manouvering the Polar star with ease. The Society had our mission to get our memorial stone on board which safely arrived from Ireland and as we later to discovered with pride looking in an old photo album in the archives, Tom Crean had stood with Shackleton and Worsley on the same quayside in Stanley on May 31st 1916. We had the day in Stanley, did the few emails, phoned home, had the fish & chips in the local as you do and the best bit met Jane Cameron the Government Archivist. I had made contact with Jane from home and asked her to give the Society a guided tour of the archives. She had clearly gone to a lot of trouble marking the many references to Crean, Shackleton's and Worlsey’s time in Stanley. It was fascinating reading the large telegrams dispatch books from Stanley to Britain, requesting a ship to rescue the men on Elephant Island, Shackleton trying in vain for months to get help. In the local Falkland Island magazine of the time it referred to asking Shackleton to give a lecture in the parish hall on his expeditions. Despite his obvious stressful situation he did give the lecture. Shackleton and the men where in Stanley from May to August 1916. It was Crean who when Shackleton appeared to wilt under the strain took over the negotiations and persuaded the dispatch of the whaling ship the Yelchov to return to Elephant Island to rescue all the twenty two men. A local photographer had kept a photo journal of Shackleton's visit, it was a privilege to be able to see such treasured items.. We where especially delighted to read in the local Falkland Island magazine from 1916 that they knew well who Crean was when they wrote of the men accompanying Shackleton, Petty Officer Tomas Crean who was awarded the Albert Medal for saving the life of Lieutenant Teddy Evans on the Terra Nova. It was wonderful to see the obvious recognition of one or our own. We where all delighted to have had the opportunity with Jane to see and learn yet more of the incredible story, Shackleton's rescue mission with Crean by his side. We where all on a high and like detectives where retracing Crean's last steps.

NEW CONTENT added 29/1/2006 - Update on 2006 Trip

The Tom Crean Society First Adventure to Antarctica in 2004 was one full of surprises and wonderful experiences. We certainly walked in the footsteps of Tom Crean, landing at Cape Cove in King Haakon Bay, climbing to the Shackleton Gap, visiting Grytviken the final resting place of Shackleton. Some of the photographs you can view at your leisure on the site and see who do you recognise. However this trip had one surprise we did not expect, to hit a rock in King Haakon Bay and thus badly damage our ship the Polar Star. The remainder of the trip had to be cancelled and we made a hasty return to Ushuaia for ship repairs. It was the end of our planned three-week adventure we did not get to see the South Orkneys, Elephant Island or the Antarctic Peninsula. Disappointing, yes but it just shows you cannot take the southern ocean or expeditioning for granted. But our story does not end there. After many legal dealings, compensation was given to all the passengers and a return trip was planned for January 2006. So the Second Tom Crean Society Adventure to Antarctica will depart Ushuaia in Tierra Del Feugo on January 24th and all the members of the Society present will once again follow in the footsteps of Tom Crean and will also complete the journey of 2004. This year they will land on many wonderful sites on the Antarctic Peninsula aswell as Elephant Island weather permitting. So tune into the regular updates from members of the Society from their ship the Polar Star, hear first hand their experiences of the many sights, sounds and wildlife wonders that the Antarctic offers. Members of the Tom Crean Society plan in the not too distant future to take a third but ultimate adventure. They plan to visit the Antarctic continent from New Zealand and step into the past by visiting Scott and Shackletons huts. As they say watch this site, tell your friends and maybe you too can join the Tom Crean Society on one of their wonderful, exciting adventures in the future.