Ernest Shackleton

On December 5th 1914, with a crew of 27 men, Kildare-born Sir Ernest Shackleton set sail from South Georgia for the South Pole on board the Endurance. By this time Shackleton was already a highly accomplished Polar explorer, with 2 Polar expeditions behind him. In 1909 he had come within 97 miles of the South Pole, the farthest South anyone had ever gone at that time.

On New Year's Day 1908 Shackleton and his team had set sail from the New Zealand port of Lyttelton on board the weather torn, 300 ton expedition ship 'Nimrod'. By November 25th Shackleton passed Scott's furthest South of 82 degrees 17 minutes. He had accomplished the feat in only 29 days- half the time it had taken himself and Scott in 1903. Yet still the mystery of where the South Pole actually remained unsolved. Whether it was located on the plains ahead or at a higher elevation was anyone's guess. It was Shackleton and his team's ascent of Mount Hope- a 2000 foot rock island- that ultimately revealed the route to the South Pole- over a visibly enormous glacier that ran upwards through the Transantarctic mountains. On January 9th 1909 after enduring endless days of dehydration, hunger and near hypothermia on the glacier Shackleton and his team of Frank Wild, John Boyd Adams and Eric Marshall established a new 'furthest south'. (Shackleton would name it the Beardmore Glacier in honour of the Scottish industrialist who had helped finance the Nimrod expedition.) Standing at only 97 miles from the South Pole the latitude was 88 degrees and 23 minutes- the team had extended Scott's record by 6 whole degrees of latitude. Most importantly the team had essentially proven that the South Pole lay up on the ice cap that had been discovered by Albert Armitage- Shackleton's old friend from the discovery days- six years earlier.

The Nimrod expedition had two further achievements which often go unmentioned. Shackleton sent two teams out which successfully achieved two firsts in Antarctic exploration. On January 16th David, Mawson and Mackay reached the South Magnetic Pole at latitude 72 degrees, 25 minutes while on March 10th 1908 these same men, accompanied by Adams and Marshall, had already made the first ascent of an Antarctic peak in summiting the 13,280 foot volcano - Mount Erebus.

Though the ultimate prize of reaching the South Pole was so painfully close it was a testimony to Shackleton's sound sense of judgement that he knew when to turn his men back. Food reserves had become so depleted that had the team made a final push for the pole their chances of survival would have been greatly threatened. Risk assessment is a fundamental and essential ingredient in the success of any expedition. Success lies not only in reaching your chosen destination - but also living to tell the tale. The safety of the team should always be the primary concern of the team leader. A great leader is one who has the courage to acknowledge when a very fine line has been crossed- the point where failure to turn back will most likely result in tragedy. Shackleton was unfazed by being perceived as a "failure"- he became known as the man who put his men first- a quality which inspired the ever enduring loyalty of those who journeyed with him into the unknown.

Although Amundsen and the Norwegians had become the first to reach the South Pole a couple of years previously, by launching the Endurance expedition Shackleton set a new Antarctic challange and opened a new chapter in the Age of Polar Exploration. The expedition's objective was to become the first to cross Antarctica from sea to sea- more precisely from the Weddell sea to the Ross sea. One month later the Endurance became trapped in the formidable ice of the Weddell Sea at latitude 74 degrees south - just outside the Antarctic Circle. There she remained, drifting slowly with the pack for ten months until, on November 21st 1915 she was crushed by the ice and sank. They remained camped on the ice for a further 5 months before the ice began to break up.

On April 9th 1916 Shackleton, J. Vincent, F.A Worsley, H. McNeish, Tom Crean and his fellow Irishman Tim McCarthy set out from Elephant Island on an 850 mile voyage on a 22 foot open lifeboat across the South Atlantic to find help. They steered their tiny vessel- the James Caird- through the eyes of successive violent storms -an epic still regarded as the single greatest feat of open boat navigation. They suffered gales, ice and constant soakings in a 16 day voyage and survived a hurricane which they later learned had claimed a 500 ton steamer. On May 10th 1916 the men landed at King Haakon's Sound on the west coast of South Georgia Island.

From there Shackleton, Worsley and Crean crossed the unmapped frozen mountains of South Georgia for 25 miles in a 36 hour non stop climb to get help to their stranded friends. The interior of South Georgia Island was depicted on their blueprint map as a complete blank. The quest to cross the interior would involve a series of attempts to navigate over a confusion of mountain ranges and treacherous crevasses overlain with deep snow and thick ice. It was a game of Russian roulette with the elements - there was always the threat that a sudden gale or snowstorm would finish them off. Yet fear took a back seat as, pitch by pitch, step by step they negotiated the ever - steepening terrain. With Shackelton in front and Crean holding the rear they remained an unflinchingly tight unit and concluded one of the most infamous survival epics in recorded history when they made it to Stromness whaling station on May 20th 1916. Vincent, McNeish and McCarthy were picked up immediately but, with the southern winter closing in it took Shackleton four attempts in four different ships before he rescued his team mates on Elephant Island on board the Chilean steamer Yelcho on August 30th 1016. Not one life had been lost.

The Endurance epic was particularly symbolic in that it set sail from Plymouth just as the world was descending into war. The next four years on the International front would be characterized by death and suffering never before experienced. The Endurance oddessy, removed as it was from the divisions and limitations of the 'civilized world' stood out as a symbol of man's humanity to his fellow man and proved that seemingly impossible obstacles can be overcome even in the most hopeless of situations.

Tom Crean

The 'indestructible' Tom Crean was born in 1877 on a remote hillside farm near the village of Annascaul on the Dingle Peninsula. Tom rose from the most humble of backgrounds to play a hugely significant role in founding the Antarctic Continent and was at center stage in some of the most dramatic events at the dawn of the era of Antarctic exploration.

There were four major British expeditions to the Antarctic during the Golden Age of Polar Exploration and Tom Crean served on three: on the 'Discovery' (1901-1904), the 'Terra Nova' (1910-1913) and on the "Endurance" (1914-1916). He was one of the very few who served both Scott and Shackleton in their efforts to conquer the polar landscapes.
Tom's story began when he ran away from his home on the farm at the age of 15 and lying about his age signed up for the British Navy. By chance his warship was in New Zealand waters as Captain Scott's Discovery was embarking on the first major British exploration of the Antarctic in 1901. One of Scott's sailors attacked an officer and deserted. Tom volunteered to join the journey into the unknown for almost three years. Discovery was Tom's Antarctic apprenticeship. He participated in the very first man-hauling party of the Discovery expedition that established a new 'furthest south'.

There was never a greater feat of individual heroism in the history of Polar exploration than Tom's solo march to save the life of his commanding officer, Teddy Evans during Robert Scott's ultimately fatal attempt to reach the South Pole aboard the ëTerra Novaí (1910-1913). On Wednesday January 3rd, standing only 150 miles from the South Pole Scott selected a team of five men and left three - Evans, Lashly and Crean - to make the run back to Hut Point. Some time during the previous four days Scott had decided to take Bowers and proceed as a five-man unit when Scott's own logic had maintained that four was the most that should make the final push for the pole. It was a lot to ask the returning party of three tired men to pull a four-man sledge and a potentially fatal decision should one of them become sick or injured.

The 750-mile journey to Hut Point was a race for survival. Evans began to show increasing signs of scurvy and within 100 miles of the safety of Hut Point, he completely broke down. Evans ordered Crean and Lashly to leave him behind but they refused to let their commanding officer die. What ensued was one of the greatest feats of Polar travel ever undertaken.

35 miles from Hut Point they placed Evans in a tent. Lashly would stay behind with Evans while Tom volunteered to walk 35 miles to Hut Point. He walked, stumbled and crawled for 18 hours in the face of an oncoming blizzard. Through sheer endurance and determination Tom Crean made the distance. If Tom had taken another 30 minutes to make the solo march he would have almost certainly died in the blizzard - and no one would have known that Lashly and Evans were stuck out on the barrier. However it is very important not to underestimate the contribution of Bill Lashly in saving Evan's life- this was ultimately a team effort and a shining example of what can be achieved as a team when the stakes are high and human life is on the line.

Robert Forde

Cork man Robert Forde was 35 years of age when he joined the Terra Nova as Petty Officer on May 30th 1910. He had served on the sea with his fellow Cork man, Patrick Keohane on a number of previous occasions between 1900 and 1906 aboard the Amphion, Emerald and Vivid 1. Man hauling for ten hours a day, Forde worked with tireless energy in an epic team effort to establish Scott's 'Corner Camp' 35 miles from Cape Evans. In September 1912 Evans, Forde and Gran were sent on a perilous mission to re-mark and dig out Corner Camp in temperatures of minus 58 degrees Celsius. Forde suffered severe frostbite to the hands and was forced to return home to Cork. Mount Forde, a monumental peak of over 1,200 metres at the head of the Hunt Glacier was named in his honour.

Patrick Keohane

Cork man Patrick Keohane was 30 years of age when he was selected by Evans, then second in command to Scott to join the Terra Nova expedition. Keohane is affectionately remembered as the Cork man who holds the 'much to be avoided record' by falling into crevasses eight times in 25 minutes! Keohane, originally from Courtmacsherry frequently endured spells of snow blindness with his typical breed of Cork humour. Scott's diaries reveal a personal fondness and deep respect for Keohane.

On one occasion Scott, Keohane, Wilson and Sherry-Garrard were pinned down in a storm for four days. Always the optimist, Keohane pointed out to the other lads that if the snow kept melting they could always turn the tent upside down and use it as a boat. On a more practical level, Scott also recalls in his diaries how when the chips were down and when Sherry-Garrard and Keohane were on the brink of physical destruction they still put everything they had into their traces. It is difficult to comprehend what man hauling is like in Antarctic conditions. Bowers recalled how it took fifteen desperate jerks on the harness to actually get the sledge moving at all, effectively crushing your insides to the backbone. This was due to the loaded sledge constantly sinking into the snow. On December 20th 1911 at an altitude of 8,000 feet Scott's three man hauling parties established the upper glacier depot near the top of Beardmore glacier. At that point Keohane, Atkinson, Wright and Sherry-Garrard were ordered by Scott to return. At just short of 300 miles of the pole they had to endure a treacherous 600 mile slog back to Cape Evans. They successfully reached Hut Point on January 26th 1912 despite Keohane's record breaking antics.

Tim and Mortimer McCarthy

Brothers Mortimer and Tim McCarthy from Kinsale were both participants in the Antarctic legends created by Scott and Shakleton. Mortimer, who lost two fingers to frost bite joined the crew of the Terra Nova on November 25th 1910 at the New Zealand port of Lyttelton where the Terra Nova took on stores of 19 Siberian ponies and 34 dogs. His awe-inspiring career at sea had begun in 1901 in the waters of New Zealand. On his return to Cardiff on board the Terra Nova in 1913 he was presented with the Silver Polar Medal by King George the fifth at a ceremony in Buckingham Palace. Mortimer also served in the Merchant Navy during the Boar War and the Second World War. Long after his retirement in 1963 Mortimer revisited the Antarctic with an American expedition to Scott's hut at Cape Evans. At the age of 81 he was the oldest man to ever set foot on Antarctica.

Edward Bransfield

The discovery of the Antarctic Continent was a culmination of pioneering efforts by a number of international explorers. Just like the first assent to the summit of Everest by Hillary and Tenzing in 1953 was made possible by the research and intelligence gathered by those who went before them, so too was the discovery of the Antarctic Continent.

What is often overlooked however is the fact that the actual discoverer of Antarctica- the first man to navigate a ship to the mainland of the world's most desolate Continent- was Edward Bransfield, originally from the small village of Ballinacurra in Co. Cork. While there are no existing visuals of Bransfield, two private accounts of his historic voyages were published in 1821. Bransfield's original charts, which he handed over to the British Admiralty, are today in the possession of the Hydrographic Department in London and are definitive proof the Antarctica was indeed discovered by a Cork man.

Bransfield was born in Ballinacurra in 1785 and was recruited into the Royal Navy at the age of 18. He began as an ordinary seaman on board the Ville de Paris. Displaying outstanding skills he rose speedily through the ranks becoming an able seaman within two years. After a further two years- in 1808- he was appointed midshipman on the Royal Sovereign. By 1812 he had risen to the rank of 2nd master and in the same year he achieved the rank of acting master on board the Goldfinch. Between 1813 and 1814 he was enlisted for military service, taking part in the 'Blockade of Brest' during the Napoleonic Wars.

In 1815 - at the age of 30 - Edward Bransfield was appointed to the highest rank available to him, that of master on board the Andromache under the command of Captain WH Shirreff. The role of 'master' entails sole responsibility for the navigation of a vessel and it was in this role that Bransfield would make his mark on history. During his first tour of duty as master Bransfield was posted to the Royal Navy's new Pacific station at Valparaiso, Chile which had just won its independence from Spain.

Before we look at Bransfield's voyage into Antarctica, lets for a moment take a step back and consider the contribution of two pioneering Antarctic adventurers who went before Bransfield. In 1774 James Cook circumnavigated Antarctica, reaching a latitude of 71 degrees, 10 minutes. Unfortunately he failed to glimpse Antarctica as he was driven back by the ice. Yet it was the furthest south any explorer had ever traveled at the time. Then in 1819 while rounding Cape Horn William Smith- a skipper of an English merchant ship, the Williams, was driven south by violent winds and inadvertently discovered the South Shetland Islands.

When news of Smith's discovery reached Captain Shirreff in Chile, he dispatched Bransfield to join Smith on the Williams to further navigate the vessel around any possible surrounding islands. Smith was to remain on board as pilot, Bransfield as navigator. Upon reaching the South Shetland Islands off the North Antarctic Peninsula, Bransfield navigated the Williams to the undiscovered King George Island and took formal possession of it for the Crown. Bransfield decided to continue on in a southwest direction which brought the men to what is now known as Deception Island. Turning south he next discovered and charted Tower Island and Ohlin Island. Continuing on for a further 20 kilometers, the men crossed what is now known as the Bransfield Strait. On January 30th 1820, Bransfield navigated the vessel towards Trinity Peninsula, the northernmost part of the Antarctic mainland. Upon reaching the peninsula, the two men went ashore and became the first two men to ever set foot on Antarctica. Having charted the peninsula, the men followed the edge of the ice sheet in a north-easterly direction, further discovering Elephant Island and Clarence Island.

Edward Bransfield died in 1852 at the age of 67 and was buried alongside his wife in Brighton. The Antarctic surveying vessel RRS Bransfield, as well as Bransfield Island, Bransfield Strait, Bransfield Rocks and Mount Bransfield were all named in honour of the most
significant navigator in Antarctic exploration.

Further 'unsung heroes'

The contribution of the Irish nation to the heroic age of Polar exploration is immortalised on the Antarctic continent. Ireland's deep heritage of Polar exploration extends on and on. Francis Crozier from Co. Down sailed in the British navy for 38 years before perishing in the ill-fated Franklin expedition seeking the Northwest Passage in 1845. Leopold McClintock headed the expedition financed by Franklin's widow that eventually found the remains of the expedition more than a decade later. Wexford man Robert McClure was knighted after becoming the first person to cross the Arctic passage while Tipperary man Henry Kellett was the first European to sight and chart the Siberian coast.

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