After ten years compiling posts about Tom Crean to the supporters of the Facebook page and group that I created, writing this book was a natural progression for me.
From a young age I’ve been familiar with Crean’s story as my family had, and still has, strong connections in Annascaul, where Crean was born. My father, Tim Foley Snr, was born just a few miles away in Keel, Co. Kerry and he worked in Annascaul when Crean was still alive. My father’s sister lived near the top of the village where his family still live today so he will, no doubt, have passed Tom Crean many times.
Crean’s home, a public house, the South Pole Inn, was the first place that roused my interest. Inside, the walls are adorned with images of Crean that were taken over his lifetime and over the course of his expeditions to Antarctica. I then read an account of Crean’s heroism in an article written by Denis Barry in the Capuchin Annual of 1952 which left me fascinated and hungry to learn more. I couldn’t believe such a man existed and it was all the better that he was born in a place I knew well.
It was wonderful to see Crean’s story emerging out of obscurity in the 1990’s and later the release of Michael Smith’s book – An Unsung Hero – the iconic Guinness advert and Aidan Dooley’s one-man show, placed Tom Crean centre-stage, where he belonged.
A privately funded statue was erected facing the South Pole Inn at the height of Crean’s new found popularity back in 2003 and then it appeared that the the buzz about him plateaued. There were no politicians or leading lights calling for greater recognition and Tom Crean’s legend was consigned to snippets on social media and social conversations.
The idea for a campaign for his national recognition came about in a chance conversation but it has drawn in thousands of Crean admirers from across the world and it later gave rise to a petition that raised over 10,000 signatures. This was handed over to the Defence Minsiter in Dublin in February 2018 and now we await the decision that will hopefully realise that ambition.
Today, Ireland has moved away from the days when there was indifference to any person involved in any way with the British establishment and support for Crean’s recognition is now evident across the wider political spectrum.
To understand the era and the hardships that Tom Crean grew up in, is to understand that the driving force of most Irish people of the time was to put food on the table and keep a roof over their heads. Crean sought better fortune at a time when his only other option would have been a life spent in poverty. Joining the Royal Navy was a means of employment and had been a longstanding tradition for boys in and around Annascaul.
Crean remained a proud Irishman and he was an Irishman to take pride in and I have great optimism that the Irish Government’s decision will be to name the planned naval flagship in his honour. This will finally provide Tom Crean the honour he deserves from the country he loved.
In 2017 I decided it was a good time to write the book and my reasons were twofold: firstly there was a wealth of people bereft of a story of such heroism that almost defies human capabilities, and secondly, if it helped increase numbers supporting the campaign then it provides a louder voice to be heard by the decision makers.
So my journey began and my first visit was to the National Archives in London where I immersed myself in Naval records, not just of Crean but those he served alongside and others who were born in and around Annascaul. I studied accounts of the men he served alongside, in the main, those who were the beneficiaries of his heroics. News archives, books, diaries, audio files, census and birth records all helped me compile a good picture and a better understanding of the man himself.
I liaised with archivists across the world and spoke and corresponded with people in the Falkland Islands, South America, New Zealand, Australia, Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales – Tom Crean was a well traveled man and there were very few places in the world he had not set foot.
Digesting all the new information, I felt as if I was discovering Tom Crean for the first time as I unearthed hitherto unpublished data. I was particularly thrilled to discover images of him that the current generation will never have seen. They were discovered in newspaper clippings and their authenticity as a reflection of the era are priceless.
Little was known about Crean’s life in Annascaul after his retirement so I was on a mission to discover more and, although there was no possibility of speaking to anyone who knew Crean, I happened upon a superb oral history resource operated by Maurice and Jane O’Keefe of Tralee. Among their projects were interviews they’d carried out with those who had been familiar with Crean and within their portfolio was a recorded interview with Crean’s godson, the late John Knightly. It was wonderful to listen to the recollections of a man who’d treasured his relationship with Crean, some of which I’ve transcribed to the book
Four of the chapters are dedicated to his epic feats of bravery and as incredible as they are, they don’t define who Tom Crean was. He had many facets to his character and the book explores these.
I’m delighted to have documented the story of my hero and hope that it generates more fans to help us reach the ambition of achieving Crean national recognition.
(c) Tim Foley
About Crean:
Tim Foley, a former consultant and magazine columnist who has worked as a Project Consultant to a number of UK television programmes, has, since 2010, spearheaded a campaign to honour Tom Crean, an Irish explorer from County Kerry whose life-saving exploits during the pioneering age of Antarctic exploration, earned him the prestigious Albert Medal for bravery.
From a young age, Foley has been fascinated by the heroic tales of the Irishman, whose story he discovered while spending time in his own father’s birthplace of Keel, County Kerry.
The book begins in Ireland under the governance of the British Empire and continues through Crean’s career in the Royal Navy and his time serving under the leadership of Scott and Shackleton on three Antarctic expeditions.
Taking us through Crean’s incredible courageous feats, his retirement and his return to a changed Ireland in the aftermath of rebellion and in the midst of a War of Independence, the book questions why and how Crean’s story was largely forgotten, both during his lifetime and after his death. Tim Foley’s book encourages to ask why, when Crean’s epic bravery has earned him international recognition, his homeland is yet to officially recognise him.
In writing this, his first book, Tim has immersed himself in years of research and study of Crean at some of the world’s most respected archives.
Order your copy online here.
