Tim

42 posts

RV Tom Crean, a victory for the campaign to honour a great Irish Hero

On this day the Change platform campaign from which we sought for Ireland To Honour Tom Crean, declared a historic victory with the following post: After eleven years of operating a campaign for Ireland to honour Tom Crean, five of which were spent pestering people to sign this petition, today, […]

General RV Tom Crean

Tom Crean Campaign – Declaration of Victory

RV Tom Crean, launch ceremony, Dingle

After 11 years of operating the campaign to honour Tom Crean, here’s an announcement I’ve waited all that time to post: Celebrations can commence and it’s a huge thrill to learn that the scientific vessel that represents the Irish government finally recognising Tom Crean, the RV Tom Crean, will be making […]

6th October, 2022 – RV Tom Crean launch ceremony at …

Celebrating Tom Crean in designs I’ve been telling Tom Crean’s story online since 2010 after creating the campaign that finally bore fruit in January 2021, after his country finally granted him the recognition he has long deserved in the shape of a scientific vessel – the RV Tom Crean. After […]

Tom Crean Shop – related products and designs

Both titles now available in library branches across Ireland

Over the past few weeks I’ve been busy contacting county librarians across Ireland. My goal was to have both titles made available through local libraries. After informing them all that my biography of Crean brought about official revisions to Tom Crean’s story in March of this year and alerting them […]

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Discover Tom Crean in your local library

Tom Crean - Unsung Hero Song

Tom Crean – A Sung Hero Being an average singer and a below average but enthusiastic strummer of my acoustic guitar, in 2015, I wrote a song about Tom Crean and decided to go the full hog and have it recorded professionally. It was a little daunting at the time […]

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Tom Crean – A Sung Hero

Tim Foley's biography of Tom Crean - A Book Review To Revel In

I’ve felt really proud and humbled by the opinions of others who have read my books about Tom Crean and I’m grateful for every book review no matter whether it’s a one-liner or more. As the author of a book about a historical figure, a book review from authors and […]

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Tom Crean’s biography – A book review to revel in.

The Elephant Island Rescue - Tom Crean

On 30th August 1916, at the fourth attempt at rescue, the Chilean vessel Yelcho, a tug built in Scotland in 1906 and sold to the Chilean Navy in 1908, sailed her way into the history books after partaking in the final act of a survival tale like no other as […]

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Tom Crean – The Elephant Island rescue and the brave …

Among the many names included in those mentioned at the funeral announcement of Tom Crean in 1938, was one who appeared in the messages of sympathy. Commander Donal Bernard O’Connell who had, two years earlier, retired as a Captain from the Royal Navy, intrigued me. Donal happened to be the […]

General Retirement and passing

The acquaintance of Tom Crean who preserved Kerry’s Antiquities

When Tom Crean was headhunted Surprisingly absent from the timeline of Tom Crean’s story until I got stuck into my research for Crean’s biography, is a man called Joseph Foster Stackhouse. Born in 1873 to a Quaker family in Kendal, the gateway to England’s Lake District, Stackhouse had been a […]

Endurance Expedition 1914-16 General

Joseph Foster Stackhouse – Shackleton’s rival for Tom Crean’s services

Tom Crean's Funeral and his tomb

Tom Crean’s Funeral and Burial On July 28th, 1938, the funeral of Tom Crean took place. He was laid to rest in the family tomb he himself had built. His body had been transported back to his birthplace soon after he drew his last breath in neighbouring County Cork. The […]

Retirement and passing

The Funeral of Tom Crean

This image you see here is the last known photograph taken of Tom Crean. 84 years ago to this day, the death of Tom Crean, Ireland’s unheralded hero, occurred in County Cork In a sad twist of fate, when his own hour of need arrived, there was no […]

General Retirement and passing

The Death of Tom Crean – 27th July 1938

Overcrowding on HMS Impregnable

The need to escape Tom Crean’s is an epic story and its beginnings were born out of a need to better his fortunes at a time when there were no opportunities to do so in his homeland. Like Crean, many young boys took the same route and I want to […]

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The Sad Fate of Tom Crean’s Friend

A quick intro to Tom Crean

Why did Tom Crean go to Antarctica? Tom Crean was recruited to the expedition ship RRS Discovery, by Commander Robert Falcon Scott, (before his promotion to Captain), when the ship Tom was serving on, HMS Ringarooma,(a vessel that was part of the Australian Squadron), was moored in Lyttelton, New Zealand. […]

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Tom Crean Explorer – Your Questions Answered

Tom Crean In Seattle July 4th 1897

When Tom Crean spent Independence Day in Seattle On July 4th, 1897, the population of Seattle, USA, the gateway port to Alaska, were revelling in the festivities of Independence Day, The Independence day activities took place just two weeks before the Klondike Gold Rush stampede, in which 100,000 people tried […]

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Tom Crean in Seattle – Independence Day 1897

Major revisions made to Tom Crean's Story by Royal Irish Academy

A Momentous St Patrick’s Day Update March 17th, 2021, just as every St Patrick’s Day, is cause for celebration but on a personal note, today is a special day as it marks official validation of a number of the facts and missing information that I incorporated into my account of […]

General Tom Crean Educational Resources

It’s Official – Substantial Revisions Made To Tom Crean’s Story

RV Tom Crean - Ireland finally honours Tom Crean

January 31st 2021 will go down in history as the day Ireland finally honoured Tom Crean and an 11-year campaign for his official honour has particular cause to celebrate with all Crean fans across the world. It was one of the 16,175 signatories to the petition, Lorcán Ó Cinnéide, who […]

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Ireland Honours Tom Crean in a groundbreaking victory for the …

Buy a signed copy of Tom Crean Biography

Just to let visitors to County Kerry know that, if you’re heading to Dingle or Annascaul and have been unable to pick up a copy of the book’s second edition Centenary version, there is still a stock of the Kerry-made version, (all signed), available to you if you’re planning to […]

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Kerry-Made version still available

Tom Crean sewing reindeer sleeping bags whilst serving on the Terra Nova Expedition

Using colourised images, this is the incredible story of Tom Crean.

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Tom Crean - From Boy 2nd Class to Hero 1st …

Oral History - Tom Crean - by his friends

One of the sources I used when researching and writing Tom Crean’s biography was the Oral history archive compiled and created by Irish Life and Lore. (1) The importance of these interviews cannot be understated as a number of the interviewees provide a direct link to the past. In the case […]

General Retirement and passing

Oral History – Coming to Shackleton’s Aid

When Tom Crean was in Lockdown - Sydney 1900

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. After writing […]

General The Road To Antarctica Tom Crean's Early Years

HMS Ringarooma and a time Tom Crean was in Quarantine

Tom Crean - Separating the facts from the fiction

In the years prior to publishing my book, I, like many others, had been left transfixed after reading about the amazing acts of heroism performed by Tom Crean in the most inhospitable place on Earth. The first account exclusively dedicated to Crean’s story which I happened upon, was one written […]

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Tom Crean – The facts from the fiction

I devised these quizzes when many of us were confined to our homes with parents having to entertain the children during our lockdown period. There are five quizzes here, not all Tom Crean related but it’s still fun to have a try. Two are based around Tom Crean, one for […]

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Tom Crean Quizzes

Edward Bransfield and William Smith

As world first’s go there’s none more important than the discovery of a continent that, before its discovery, had long been considered a myth. The term ‘Antarctica’ was first used in the second century by a Greek geographer, Marinus of Tyre – its meaning unsurprisingly translates to ‘opposite the Arctic’ […]

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The Discovery of Antarctica

Jack Doyle - The Gorgeous Gael

The Gorgeous Gael and the Irish Giant You’d be forgiven, by its title, for expecting this post to be a tale from Irish mythology but no, it isn’t the stuff of Irish legend despite two larger than life characters forming the basis of the story. At the age of 19, […]

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The Gorgeous Gael

John Marra's Journal

John Mara – The Irishman who ‘Cooked Captain Cook’s Books’. Now it may seem a little strange to see among the posts here, one that isn’t about Tom Crean but this particular one is about an Irish Explorer, John Mara, whose story is just too fascinating not to sit alongside […]

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John Mara – Ireland’s First Antarctic Explorer?

Tom Crean's Family Genealogy

Tom Crean’s Relations As referenced to in my book, among the growing numbers of people hungry for more information about Tom Crean, are those seeking to learn whether they may have a family connection to him. Others like myself, are just interested in learning more about Tom Crean regardless of […]

Tom Crean's Family

Am I related to Tom Crean? A Genealogical Guide

Tom Crean sets off on his lifesaving trek across Antarctica

Over a period of 18 hours on the 18th and 19th February 1912, an act of individual heroism, that remains unparalleled in the history of Antarctic exploration, was playing out its final act during Captain Scott’s ill-fated Terra Nova Expedition to the most inhospitable place on earth. A lifesaving solo […]

Terra Nova Expedition 1910-1913

Tom Crean’s Lifesaving Solo March

Tom Crean Book - Third Edition of Crean The Extraordinary Life of an Irish Hero

This carefully documented, well-organized volume offers the reader a full and gripping history of an unassuming Irishman whose extraordinary deeds put into practice a humanity and generosity which saved the lives of his comrades

Tom Crean Book Reviews

Book Review of ‘Crean – The Extraordinary Life of an …

A cottage similar to one in which Tom Crean was born

Compiling a picture from the 1901 Census It’s unfortunate for us that Census records for the era closest to Tom Crean’s birth date aren’t available – both the 1881 and 1891 Censuses, which would have included further information on Tom Crean, were destroyed after a decision was made to pulp […]

General Retirement and passing Tom Crean's Early Years

Gortacurraun – Tom Crean’s birthplace

Tom Crean with the Southern Sledge Depot Party 1902

Of all the images of Tom Crean that I’ve posted over the years, the vast majority originate from his last two expeditions, Terra Nova and Endurance. They are the ones we’ve all become most familiar with – images such as that of Tom holding the puppies and the iconic image […]

Discovery Expedition 1901-1904

Tom Crean on Discovery expedition 1901-1904

Tom Crean's Timeline

Researching and writing Crean’s Life Story My book, Crean — The Extraordinary Life of an Irish Hero, has been as much a labour of love for me as it has been a passion to see Tom Crean awarded the recognition he deserves from the country he loved. For 3½ years I […]

Tom Crean Educational Resources

Timeline of Tom Crean

A story that deserves a fitting end A man his leaders relied on To the men he served under, Tom Crean was a vital cog in the wheel that saw them pioneer exploration of the most inhospitable continent on Earth. It’s a fact that both Shackleton and Scott valued and relied […]

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The Story of Tom Crean deserves a fitting end.

Return of Tom Crean and Endurance survivors

On 8th November 1916, the passenger and refrigerated cargo steamer, Highland Laddie, arrived in Tilbury docks in London. On board was Tom Crean and a number of his Endurance colleagues.. Offered free passage from Buenos Aires by the company’s Nelson Line owners, were eleven men who’d set sail on the […]

Endurance Expedition 1914-16

The return of Tom Crean and Elephant Island survivors.

Tom Crean - Yelcho - Elephant Island rescue

At first glance it’s nothing much to look at but the importance of this ship’s bow as a monument of remembrance cannot be understated – why? Because this happens to be a remnant of a tug built in Scotland and sold to the Chilean Navy in 1908 – it was […]

Endurance Expedition 1914-16

Yelcho – The Lifesaving Tug

Tom Crean's True Birthdate

Just when was Tom Crean born? There’s been a lot of confusion about Tom Crean’s birthdate over the years yet I can confirm that the research I carried out prior to writing up Tom Crean’s biography, proved to my mind, that February 25th, the date displayed on Crean’s birth certificate, […]

Tom Crean's Early Years

Tom Crean’s True Birthdate

Tom Crean with Shackleton and Endurance crew members at the Royal Philharmonic Hall - 1920

Writing the book was a natural evolution for me after all my years posting stories about Tom Crean to the supporters of the Facebook page and group I created. I’d known about Crean from a young age as my family has, and still has, strong connections in Annascaul. My father, […]

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Tom Crean’s biography – why and how I wrote it.

Tom Crean - the Hero

The sheer magnitude of what Tom Crean achieved is evident when you document what he actually did. He’s not just a national treasure, he’s an international hero. His actions, in coming to the aid of his fellow human beings without a care for the potential danger to himself, is a […]

Endurance Expedition 1914-16 General Terra Nova Expedition 1910-1913

The Heroism of Tom Crean

The holy Scapula he carried with him to the grave

Tom Crean – The Final Journey Built by his own hands, in a corner of a graveyard in Ballynacourty, close to his Annascaul birthplace, lies the final resting place of Tom Crean. He was laid to rest still wearing his precious scapular. His faith meant so much to him he’d […]

Retirement and passing

Tom Crean’s Final Journey

Tom Crean, Ernest Shackleton and Frank Worsley pictured before the first rescue attempt

Crean, Shackleton and Worsley return to civilization to arrange rescue It’s clear that the two images here were taken on the same day yet one of the images includes the Master of the ship to make the first rescue attempt, the Norwegian, Captain Ingvar Thom. The attempt would be made […]

Endurance Expedition 1914-16

Shackleton – The First Rescue Attempt

Tom Crean and Sir Ernest Shackleton

Men from different classes who were a class Irish double act. There’s little doubt that song and humour played a vital part in the historic story of survival that brought about the greatest rescue in Polar history and that Tom Crean and Sir Ernest Shackleton were often centre-stage in providing […]

Discovery Expedition 1901-1904 Endurance Expedition 1914-16 Retirement and passing

Tom Crean and Sir Ernest Shackleton

Tom Crean related News clippings

Tom Crean related newsclippings Probably the most recognisable of newsclippings, this one attributed to Ernest Shackleton, never actually appeared as an advert purportedly reading as follows:“Men wanted for hazardous journey. Low wages, bitter cold, long hours of complete darkness. Safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in case of success” He […]

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Newsclippings that relate to Tom Crean

24-year-old Tom Crean while serving on HMS Ringarooma

Life in the latter part of 19th century Ireland was, for most, merely an existence. With memories of the earlier, devastating famine which robbed the country of many of its inhabitants either, through starvation or emigration, survival was uppermost in the minds of families whose work was to farm the […]

The Road To Antarctica

The Young Tom Crean