South Pole Inn - The historic pub once owned by Antarctic hero, TomCrean. The name ‘South Pole Inn’ was an open statement of his pastendeavours and perhaps also a tribute to his lost friend Edgar Evanswho himself held an ambition to return to Wales and run a public housesimilarly named. TOM CREAN - Kerry's legendary polar explorer. Nicknamed "The Irish Giant", Tom Crean was one of ten children born toa poor farming couple who lived in the small village of Annascaul.After an argument with his parents, he left his family home aged 15,lied about his age and joined the British Navy where he volunteered asan explorer in 1901. Crean wasa member of three famous expeditions to Antarctica which occurredthrough what was referred to as the ‘Heroic Age of AntarcticExploration’. Crean built his legend through his heroic actions and the extraordinary feats that he completed on them. During one of these expeditions, after man-hauling a sled 1500 milesfor 100 days, Tom Crean volunteered to make a lone 35 mile trek withonly 3 crackers and a stick of chocolate (at -30c) across the Arctic’sRoss Ice Shelf to save two fallen comrades - Evans & Lashley. On another trip, after his ship Endurance became beset in the pack iceand sank, he was a participant in a dramatic series of eventsincluding months spent drifting on the ice, a journey in lifeboats toElephant Island, and an open boat journey of 800 nautical miles (1,500km) from Elephant Island to South Georgia. Upon reaching South Georgia, Crean was one of the party of three which undertook the firstland crossing of the island, without maps or proper mountaineeringequipment to get aid. During these expeditions, Tom sealed his reputation as a tough anddependable polar traveler, earning three Polar medals and the AlbertMedal for Lifesaving. He returned to the Navy for WW1 and when hisnaval career ended in 1920, he returned to Kerry. In Annascaul, Creanmarried and opened this small pub called the "South Pole Inn". He wassaid to be an extremely modest man - putting his medals away, nevertalking about his achievements and never giving press interviews. "Heput his medals and his sword in a box and that was that," one of hisdaughters, Eileen, said years later. After enduring some of the harshest conditions known to man, Creansuccumbed to appendicitis in 1938. He was 61. He was buried in afamily plot in Ballynacourty. The interior of the South Pole Inn is adorned with images of Tom Creanand his expeditions. Opposite the pub is the Tom Crean memorial Gardenwhich includes a bronze statue of Tom Crean holding husky pups.