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Antarctic ship with Crean connection found 107 years after it sank

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The ship central to Tom Crean’s story of bravery and resilience has been located in the Antarctic 107 years after it sank - hailing the find as a milestone in polar history.

SEARCHING: The Agulhas II docked in the sea ice of Weddell Sea searching for Sir Ernest Shackleton's ship The Endurance and scientific research on the sea ice. Photo: Esther Horvath Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust/National Geographic

TEAM: John Shears Expedition Leader Mensun Bound Director of Exploration Nico Vincent Expedition Sub-Sea Manager J.C. Caillens Off-Shore Manager with the first scan of the wreck and photos from Frank Hurley's 1915 collection. Photo: Esther Horvath Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust/National Geographic

The Endurance sank in 1915 while explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton and his crew were attempting to make the first land crossing of the Antarctic.

The Endurance become stuck in ice as the 28-man crew made their way towards Vahsel Bay – the starting point of their land expedition. It sank in October 1915 forcing Shackleton and his six-man crew, which included Annascaul’s Tom Crean on to lifeboats. They ended up on uninhabited Elephant Island where after months of living in makeshift camps Shackleton decided to steer one of the lifeboats towards the whaling station at South Georgia 1,300km away.

Crean was included in the lifeboat crew that made the journey – one that is listed amongst the greatest feats of human endurance ever.

On arrival at the northern coast of South Georgia three of the crew, including Crean and Shackleton faced a 46km hike over uncharted territory to the whaling station at Stromness where the crew were able to organise a rescue party for the remaining men stranded on Elephant Island.

Some eight weeks after the lifeboat left Elephant Island the crew returned and rescued everyone without the loss of life.

The ship had not been seen since it went down in the Weddell Sea in 1915, and in February the Endurance22 Expedition left Cape Town, South Africa, on a mission to find it.

"The wreck is coherent, in an astonishing state of preservation. The Antarctic seabed does not have any wood eating micro-organisms, the water has the clarity of distilled water. We were able to film the wreck in super high definition. The results are magical,” Historian and broadcaster, Dan Snow, tweeted.

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Con O’Leary: Killarney loses a vibrant and popular personality

Killarney Chamber of Tourism and Commerce has led the tributes to the late Con O’Leary, an extremely popular and very successful businessman in the town, who passed away in the […]

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Killarney Chamber of Tourism and Commerce has led the tributes to the late Con O’Leary, an extremely popular and very successful businessman in the town, who passed away in the early hours of Sunday.

Con was a vibrant and popular personality in Killarney where he operated The Laurels on Main Street, a thriving bar and restaurant, which he inherited following the passing of his father, Thado.
The business organisation said from a social perspective, The Laurels became the beating heart of the town and it was a landmark at the Market Cross in the same way as Clery’s clock was in the capital city.
Chamber said Con’s passing really marks the end of an era as he was one of a golden age of inspirational local business people who developed and built Killarney, through hard work, bravery and great commercial flair, and helped create the wonderful tourist attraction and holiday destination it is today.
“Con was very proud of Killarney and he played a very active part in progressing the town at many levels.
“He was a man that was never short of great ideas and his contribution to the business life of the town and as a director of Killarney Race Company was immense,” Chamber said.
“He was ahead of his time in many respects with the introduction by what became known as “the singing lounge” many years ago and The Laurels always led by example through its successes in the annual Killarney Looking Good competition”.
The business representative organisation noted that the O’Leary family has always been very supporting of the town and Con’s daughter, Kate, was a very dynamic Chamber President and is still a very valued member of the executive.
Chamber expressed deep sympathy to Con’s wife, Anne, children Kate, Niall, Tara and Lorna, sons-in-law, grandchildren, sisters, relatives and friends as well as the dedicated staff in The Laurels, past and present, who Con always had great time for and a great rapport with.

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All Roads Lead To Kerry For National Road Safety Conference

Kerry County Council is to host a two-day road safety conference at the INEC Killarney on May 28 and 29. The ‘Safer Roads’ road safety conference is an inter-agency event […]

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Kerry County Council is to host a two-day road safety conference at the INEC Killarney on May 28 and 29.

The ‘Safer Roads’ road safety conference is an inter-agency event focused on improving road safety, reducing traffic-related incidents, and sharing knowledge and best practices for safer road use. It encompasses various strategies and efforts across multiple domains, including road design, engineering, enforcement, forensic collision investigation, technology, education, collision trends, occupational driving, cycling and scooting, e-mobility, active & sustainable travel and on-road events.

In addition to this, AI, Virtual Reality and Driver Simulation will play a significant role at the conference, in improving safety by predicting and preventing accidents, optimizing traffic, and aiding the development of autonomous vehicles.

This ‘Safer Roads’ conference is a non-public event where road safety professionals, speakers and service providers from across Ireland, other EU countries and the UK will attend, including transportation experts, government and local authority officials, roads policing and vehicle inspection agencies, road safety advocates, educators and promoters, collision responders, cycling bodies and community safety networks.

Kerry County Council’s Road Safety Officer Declan Keogh said:
“Road safety has evolved over the years to a much broader scope, in terms of e-mobility, sustainability, technology and engineering for instance. It’s not just about the road or the vehicle anymore, but also about how technology, human behaviour, enforcement, and education intersect to reduce risks and prevent collisions. The ‘Safer Roads’ conference will involve and include every branch of the road safety tree, right across the board, and in doing so, we aim to increase road safety awareness, improve road user behaviour and decrease the collisions and carnage we see on our roads every day,”

The two-day conference also provides an opportunity for exhibitors to attend, and interested state bodies, businesses and service providers are invited to exhibit at the event to showcase their products and services and engage with delegates and officials at the conference.

Further information about the conference and how to register or exhibit can be found here. https://www.kerrycoco.ie/safer-roads-road-safety-conference/

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