Tom Crean from West Kerry, who was a famous sailor and explorer was born on this day, July 20, 1877, though Wikipedia gives his birth as February 16, 1877. He died in 1938.
He took part in three major expeditions to Antarctica
Crean's third and final Antarctic venture was as second officer on Ernest Shackleton’sImperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition.
After the ship got stuck in the pack ice and sank, Crean and the ship's company spent 492 days drifting on the ice before undertaking a journey in the ship's lifeboats to Elephant Island. He was a member of the crew which made a small-boat journey of 800 nautical miles (1,500 km) from Elephant Island to South Georgia Island to seek aid for the stranded party.
After retiring from the navy on health grounds in 1920, Crean ran his pub the South Pole Inn in Annascaul in West Kerry with his wife and daughters. He died in 1938.
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