Campaigner floats idea of naming ship after Crean

IRELAND should name a navy ship after Tom Crean to honour the famed Antarctic Explorer from Annascaul who has been shamefully ignored by the State for too long, according to Crean advocate Tim Foley who is inviting people to sign an online petition in support of his campaign.

Since 2014 the Navy has commissioned three offshore patrol vessels, all of which have been named after writers – Beckett, James Joyce and WB Yeats. Another vessel is due to be delivered to the Irish Navy in 2018 and Tim has written to Taoiseach Enda Kenny appealing for the ship to be named the LE Tom Crean to set right the ‘injustice’ that has seen Crean denied official recognition in Ireland.

In his letter Tim tells the Taoiseach that Crean “held all the attributes that define a true hero, yet here we are over century later and only a privately funded statue in his Annascaul birthplace commemorates his greatness.”

“His memory is better served outside of Ireland with two mountains, one in Greenland, the other in Antarctica, both named Mount Crean in his honour. In South Georgia, Lake Crean and the Crean Glacier commemorate his legend and more recently an underwater feature, off the coast of New Zealand, is named ‘Crean Deep’ in his honour,” Tim wrote, adding that “fans from across the world are expressing disbelief that this great Irish hero still hasn’t achieved national recognition or honour in his homeland.”

Dingle marine expert Kevin Flannery, who backs Tim’s campaign, told The Kerryman it would be far more appropriate to name a ship after Tom Crean than to continue the current practice of naming naval ships after writers, “who wouldn’t exactly be noted mariners”.

“Tom Crean’s achievements were absolutely stupendous; for example, nobody has yet been able to repeat his feat in sailing from Elephant Island to South Georgia with Ernest Shackleton,” said Kevin. “We now have an opportunity to give credence to a good ship by naming her after him and we shouldn’t miss the chance.”

Kevin added that with a seafaring man - Vice Admiral Mark Mellett – as the current Chief of Staff of Ireland’s armed forces, we now have “the best opportunity we’ll ever see” of having a ship named after Tom Crean.

Tim Foley’s online petition can be signed online at https://goo.gl/tFSuQz