Walking Boots Tours, Exploring the heart & sole of Ireland. Carefully choosen hiking, walking& special interest vacations tours throughout Ireland.
TOM CREAN 1877 -1938
BETTER KNOWN AS THE UNSUNG HERO, KERRYMAN IN THE ICE, ANTARCTIC POLAR HERO , BOLD ADVENTURER
Itinerary.
Walk time: Approxaimtely 2-3 hours on country roads.
We will begin the walk at the Tom Crean memorial garden at 11am,just across the street from Tom's bar, The South Pole Inn. This beautiful garden was unveiled by Tom's daughters Mary and Eileen in 2003 to commerorate Tom's Antarctic Expeditions and his comrades.
From the village of Annascaul we will take a very picturesque quiet country road once walked by Tom to visit his birthplace in the townland of Gurtachrane, the homeplace is now owned by his grandson. I will tell you stories of this brave mans Antarctic Adventures and something of his return to Ireland and his last days spent among his friends and neighbours in Annascaul.
From Gurtachrane we will continue our Antarctic journey to visit the resting place of this incredible Kerryman in the old village of Ballynacourty. The recently restored tomb where Tom lies he actually built himself. A fitting quiet resting place in the Annascaul Valley for a truly modest hero.
To complete our walk back in time we will return to the village of Annascaul to have a welcome refreshment at Tom Creans bar better known as The South Pole Inn. Inside we can see remarkable pictures from some of his expeditions and get a flavour of how he ended his days in this one of Kerrys most picturesque villages. I do believe Tom Crean knew his day would come and people from all over the world would learn his story and thus be transported back to a fascinating time,the heroic age of Antarctic Exploration.
Email me for further details and cost prosperity@walkingbootstours.com
Special Group rate.
See you soon, Maeve
HOME IS THE HERO
In the Ford of the Heroes,
There he lies,
Brave Tom Crean,
Noble son of Annascaul,
Where the Gulf Stream’s
Cool, calm breeze
Lulls him into gentle sleep.
But hark and listen!
And you will hear
The icy, cold winds of Antarctica
Sings a lullaby through the
Trees of Ballynacourty
To their courageous warrior,
Home to rest at last.
By Brigid O’ Connor
Gleann na nGealt