KERRY explorer Tom Crean has been celebrated in a set of stamps just launched by An Post.
Four stamps have been issued by An Post which celebrate eight Irish men who took part in Antarctic expeditions in the 1800s and early 1900s.
Apart from the west Kerry man, Ernest Shackleton, Co Kildare, Francis Crozier, from Banbridge, Co Downand Cork men Edward Bransfield, Patrick Keohane and Robert Forde, as well as brothers Mortimer and Tim McCarthy are also commemorated.
KERRY explorer Tom Crean is to honoured on a Norwegian Air International aircraft flying transatlantic routes from Ireland this summer.
He will be the first non-Norwegian to become one of the airline’s “tailfin heroes”.
The airline honours well-known people from Norway including Hollywood actress Greta Garbo and artist Edvard Munch, but the Kerry man’s heroic exploits have impressed the airline.
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The Antarctic explorer will feature on the tailfin of the plane. Tom Crean from Annascaul took part in three British navy expeditions to Antarctica and earned medals for bravery.
Crean’s family said; “We are delighted to honour our grandfather’s bravery and courage by bringing his name and exploits to Norwegian’s many US and European customers. As our family continues Tom Crean’s legacy with our own Antarctic exploits, we wish Norwegian the very best in their new endeavours.”
Right, over to you Aerlingus and Ryanair. From July, Norwegian will begin flying to the US east coast from Belfast, Cork, Dublin and Shannon.
.Tom Crean will be celebrated at a festival in Annascaul this weekend.
THE life of Tom Crean is about to be celebrated in a fresh light in The Tom Crean Festival this weekend.
The centrepiece of the festival, which takes place annually in the West Kerry village of Annascaul, will be a choreographed version of the local hero’s life on Saturday night.
Tom Crean’s Journey: An Irish Dance Expedition is a dance/drama performance which is to be staged in the local Conor-Crean centre at 7.30pm.
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It’s the creation of Martin Percival whose family lives in the village and who was formerly lead dancer with Riverdance and Lord of the Dance.
Indeed his mother Eileen is organiser of the festival and his brother Gary manages the local South Pole Inn which was formerly owned by Tom Crean.
The piece also features an appearance by David Geaney the Dingle-based world champion step dancer. Michael Healy-Rae TD will launch the show.
The festival gets underway on Friday at 5pm with a welcome gathering in the Jerome Connor Gallery upstairs in the South Pole Inn, displaying 29 portraits of the Endurance crew by Irish Artist Medbh Gillard.
Introduced by Mike Shea our very own Irish explorer from Dingle. Cliff Wedgbury will be showcasing a couple of his new Antarctic ballads.
Later there is an exclusive talk by author Michael Smith at 7pm in the Conor / Crean Centre
Saturday sees the Tom Crean Endurance Walk which has now sold out. Buses leave Annascaul at 7am for an 8am start. It follows a 19 mile mountain walk through the hills of West Kerry, finishing at Tom Crean’s Pub the South Pole Inn.
Annascaul Walking Club maintain a great spirit of enjoyment, fun and achievement. This is limited to 200 brave participants.
Sunday see the Ton Crean Trail at 1pm in the Tom Crean Memorial Garden.
This is a ramble through Tom’s footsteps, taking in his homestead, Minard Castle where he signed up for the Royal Navy, followed by laying of flowers at his graveside.
KERRY Airport are to consider changing its name to ‘Kerry Crean Airport’.
Following a presentation to rename Kerry Airport the ‘Kerry Crean Airport’ at Monday’s AGM, the board of management are to consider the proposal at their next meeting.
As a part of the presentation, a 17 minute video was shown to the board which emphasised the cultural and financial benefits to linking Kerry airport with the world famous Antarctic explorer and Kerry native, Tom Crean.
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“I thought it was received very well by the board,” said one of the campaigners, Eddie Barrett who gave the presentation.
The name change has achieved backing from people all over the world through the Facebook page ‘Kerry Airport Should Be Renamed Tom Crean Airport‘. The page to date has received over a million hits.
It is hoped the name change will attract even more people to visit Kerry as an adventure tourism destination.
“Anybody who’s into mountain climbing, walking or anything like that tend to read up on people like Tom Crean. From the success of the Facebook page we know there is a tremendous interest out there in his story. We’re trying to bring as many people possible through the airport to boost tourism and we feel renaming Kerry Airport after Tom Crean is a huge way to achieve that,” said Eddie Barrett.
Last weekend over 200 people from 41 different countries took part in the ‘The Tom Crean Endurance Walk’ in Annascaul.
“There is a huge interest in Tom Crean already. We feel by renaming Kerry Airport after him, it has tremendous further potential,” he said.
At the AGM, shareholders also heard that profits were up at the airport in Farranfore, despite falling passenger numbers.
In 2014, Kerry airport, made a profit of €18,895. An increase on 2013 profit of €4,161, despite this, there was an 3.5% decrease in passenger numbers, from, 306,042, in 2013 to, 295,251, last year.
The photo taken on the top of Mount Brandon during the ‘Big Freeze’ of 2010 which has now gone viral again.
A PHOTO taken in Kerry during the ‘Big Freeze’ of winter 2010 has gone viral after a Kerry Facebook group posted it on Monday morning.
The image of the ice-laden cross taken on the top of Mount Brandon on January 1, 2010 by Máire Criomhthain, has been viewed 167,000 times (as of early Wednesday afternoon) since it was posted up by the ‘Kerry Airport Should Be Renamed Tom Crean Airport’ group.
Up to Wednesday afternoon at 2.15pm, it had been ‘liked’ 1,914 times and shared an incredible 2,602 times.
“Does anybody out there know if there has been a post put up on a Kerry-based Facebook page which has ever received that amount of likes and shares?” asked Tralee auctioneer Eddie Barrett, who regularly puts up photos and articles for the group.
Eddie spotted a story on IrishCentral.com at the weekend which contained the photo, among other images of Kerry and decided to post it on the Facebook page. The image was named ‘The Cross With Angels Wings’ and the reaction has been phenomenal.
“We’re just stunned. I never came off the computer last night with messages from friends all over the world talking about it,” said Eddie
“When we started the site in April, we set ourselves a crazy target of 5,000 likes by Tom Crean’s birthday on February 25. We never thought in a million years that we’d get near it but now we have over 4,000 likes – 1,000 more than the Kerry Airport Facebook page,” he said.
It’s all more publicity for the group which is trying to get Kerry Airport to be renamed in honour of the west Kerry explorer. There are events planned by the group later in the year to further their cause so watch this space.
KERRY explorer Tom Crean is to honoured on a Norwegian Air International aircraft flying transatlantic routes from Ireland this summer.
