The most iconic photos of Tom Crean are the two featured below

The images, both taken by Frank Hurley early in 1915, tell stories of their own. Taken in his birth month of February, the image of Crean in his twin peaked hat depicts a man of determination, a tough, hardy character with unstoppable resolve. Beneath that granite exterior lies a man of extreme sensitivity, a man who would stop at nothing to help others without a care of the risk to himself.

The second image of Tom with the four puppies, again shows Tom’s grit and resolve yet it also reveals him as a protective man, a guardian of those that mean most to him. Often that would be people but Crean was renowned for being a huge animal lover. After his retirement Crean was inconsolable when, during a walk near his Annascaul home, he lost a dog when it fell off a cliff onto the beach below.

These two iconic photos have Crean fans divided on which is their favourite and in a recent poll carried out on our facebook platform, the image of Tom without the puppies won out by a narrow margin.

It’s hard to choose but each of these pictures tells its own story

Read Tom Crean’s full story. You can buy the book at the following link.

Biography of Tom Crean – Crean – The Extraordinary Life of an Irish Hero