A hero’s hero
Tom Crean, a native of Annascaul, served on three Antarctic expeditions in the early 1900s. What drove him to risk his life repeatedly in the most desolate place on Earth? We can only guess at his motives but a trek through our exhibition will reveal how he, and his fellow Polar explorers, survived terrible dangers and endured shocking hardships.
Highlights:
Sledging tool-kit

Sledging tool-kit – that belonged to Patrick Keohane, another Irishman on the Terra Nova expedition. A vital piece of equipment for running repairs on the journey towards the Pole, all of the tools, aside from the pliers, could fit into the one handle, maximising the use of space.
Emperor Penguin eggs
Shackleton’s plum pudding ration bag
Shackleton’s plum pudding ration bag – Scott, Shackleton and Wilson celebrated Christmas Day on their first exploratory trip in 1902, despite suffering from exhaustion and scurvy. Shackleton produced a miniature plum pudding which he had carried secretly in this ration bag in the toe of a spare sock, complete with a crumpled sprig of artificial holly.
Location:
Second floor
Normal visit duration:
40 minutes
For children:
Pangur Bán Trail









