Last updated: January 13, 2012
News Archive 2012
All aboard
8th January: Today, Sunday the 8th of January was a great day. The temperature was a balmy 13 or 14 degrees, there was no wind and the Suir looked lovely as it flowed serenely to the sea. People were out with their boats, cleaning them, revving the engines, rowers were on the river and there was even a few yachts out, despite the lack of wind. One crew forgot themselves as they sauntered downriver and ended up stuck on the mud off the Island. They had to wait then for 3 or 4 hours for the tide to drain and then fill so the yacht lifted off the mud at around 1.30 pm. You would think that a local boat would know of this hazard around the Island and how important it is to keep out in the channel. Anyway, they were able to have a chat and watch their surroundings on this beautiful morning. One queen bumble bee was out and about the river too, aroused by the mild weather and prompted to head off in search of a nest site. We must also wish Admiral Deevy fair sailing as he leaves our shores for foreign lands. A couple of months down under will no doubt rejuvenate him. So bon voyage and return in good voice for the joys that are ahead. Aye.
4 January: On the 4th January 1912, exactly 100 years ago today, Robert Falcon Scott, ordered that Tom Crean, that gallant man
from Annascaul Co Kerry, along with Teddy Evans and William Lashley, should return to base while he himself and four others should carry on to the South Pole, which they reached successfully on the 17th January 1912, only to find that Roald Admundsen had been there some five weeks before him. Worse was to follow when Scot and his four companions perished during horrendous conditions on their way back to base. The Terra Nova expidition was ill-fated from the start, it seems.
On the return journey Tom Crean and his companions encountered difficult conditions as they attempted to reach their base, including a wide detour around a large icefall, snow blindness, lack of food and illness and they also had to haul one of their comrades the last 160 kilometres of the journey. Conditions were so bad that Crean himself had to walk alone for the last 56 km, with little or no food, so that his two companions could eventually be saved. Some people say that if Tom had been with the group who successfully reached the Pole, that they would never have perished, such was the strength and indomitable spirit of the man. What a man he was too. A fine Kerryman indeed.
