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Charlie Bird on the trail of Tom Crean Part 1

Born in Annascaul, Kerry in 1877, Tom Crean left home at 15 years of age and after a chance encounter with Robert Scott found himself on his first Antarctic expedition. Following in Crean's footsteps, Charlie Bird travels from Crean's birthplace in Kerry to Antarctica and ultimately to the South Pole revealing Crean's life story. Recounting Crean's second Antarctic expedition - again with Scott - aboard the 'Terra Nova', Charlie explores why, within a hair's breadth of reaching the South Pole, Scott turned Crean and two others back. And we learn of Crean's courage and fortitude as he undertook an impossible solo march to get rescue for his comrades. Trudging across the never-ending ice, Charlie discovers the true reality of that endeavour. As Charlie reaches the South Pole, an achievement sadly Tom Crean was never afforded, he considers the enormous contribution the unassuming Kerryman made to Antarctic exploration and the crucial role he played in some of the most dramatic events of the time.

English
  • Originally Aired April 11, 2011
  • Runtime 60 minutes
  • Network RTÉ One
  • Created May 21, 2016 by
    Administrator admin
  • Modified May 21, 2016 by
    Administrator admin