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 Tom Crean’s story. As a result, the sources I discovered while researching his life have brought about substantial revisions to the entry for Crean in the Dictionary of Irish Biography.

In a collaboration that chronicles the lives of prominent men and women born on the island of Ireland, the Dictionary of Irish Biography is a collaboration between the Royal Irish Academy and Cambridge University Press. The dictionary volumes are an indispensable work of reference for scholars, journalists, broadcasters, genealogists, diplomats, and the general reader interested in Ireland’s past. It is an educational resource highly respected the world over.

Today, after many months of correspondence throughout which I submitted all of the source material I discovered and used in the writing of Tom Crean’s biography to the Royal Irish Academy, the inaccuracies and missing information I highlighted in a 7,000 word file and accompanying folders of source material, have given rise to a substantial and significant revision to the dictionary entry for Tom Crean.

Since early 2017 I dedicated myself to undertaking deeper research into Tom Crean’s story for the purpose of writing his biography. I’d written hundreds of posts about Crean before this in my role as a campaigner attempting to secure him recognition from Ireland so I was already as familiar as anyone could be with the story that we’d already digested since the turn of the millennium.

As my book-writing journey started I never imagined that I’d discover so much more additional information about Crean. There was though, a greater shock in store when I discovered that a number of inaccuracies of great significance, populated existing accounts of Tom Crean’s life.

So today is one I’ll remember with great pride and I’m delighted to see that the sources I discovered and used in my account of Crean’s life have been substantiated and now form the basis of the revisions in a highly respected journal.

To discover some of the inaccuracies and missing events that make up the timeline of Tom Crean, I have detailed a number of them in a blog post differentiating the fact from the fiction.

Preventing the spread of false information

After reaching out many times to Eason’s and to book publishers, all of whom provide material and content that continue to misinform about Tom Crean, my efforts to try and prevent the spread of falsehoods relating to his story still appear to have fallen on deaf ears.

Continuing to misinform the public, schoolchildren and students of all ages without full examination of the facts that have been offered up, is irresponsible. Now that the alterations to Tom Crean’s timeline have been validated, all publishers and media platforms have a duty to ensure that their output reflects the changes made and by acknowledging my work in discovering the sources.  I’ll happily provide the evidence I submitted to the Royal Irish Academy if requested.

Dictionary of Irish Biography

For anyone interested in Ireland’s rich history the Dictionary of Irish Biography is a superb educational resource and is now an open access platform that can be accessed freely by anyone. I wish to offer my thanks to Terry Clavin of the Royal Irish Academy with whom I corresponded over many months to provide all the evidence required in order to implement the changes.

Tom Crean’s Birth

One final note regarding Tom Crean’s story is that I recently submitted further evidence relating to his date of birth and it shores up my conviction that he was born on or before 16th February, 1877, the date entered in the baptismal register. There’s been a clear need to address the ridiculous situation by which Crean’s birthdate is celebrated three times each year and I believe that the new evidence provides us with confirmation that his baptismal date of 16th February is the most accurate and the most appropriate date to remind us of his entry to the world. To read the new evidence, I’ve added it to the following post – Tom Crean’s True Birthdate.

Where to purchase the book in all its formats

The biography that gave rise to the revisions, Crean – The Extraordinary Life of an Irish Hero, is available in hardcover, paperback and as an audiobook and can be purchased at all the major online booksellers such as Amazon, Audible, Waterstones, Barnes and Noble and many others.

You can also order the book through your local bookstore and the following link provides all the information required to order the version of your choice. Click here