Patrick Keohane

Cork man Patrick Keohane was 30 years of age when he was selected by Evans, then second in command to Scott to join the Terra Nova expedition. Keohane is affectionately remembered as the Cork man who holds the ‘much to be avoided record’ by falling into crevasses eight times in 25 minutes! Keohane, originally from Courtmacsherry frequently endured spells of snow blindness with his typical breed of Cork humour. Scott’s diaries reveal a personal fondness and deep respect for Keohane.

On one occasion Scott, Keohane, Wilson and Sherry-Garrard were pinned down in a storm for four days. Always the optimist, Keohane pointed out to the other lads that if the snow kept melting they could always turn the tent upside down and use it as a boat.

On a more practical level, Scott also recalls in his diaries how when the chips were down and when Cherry-Garrard and Keohane were on the brink of physical destruction they still put everything they had into their traces. It is difficult to comprehend what man hauling is like in Antarctic conditions. Bowers recalled how it took fifteen desperate jerks on the harness to actually get the sledge moving at all, effectively crushing your insides to the backbone.

This was due to the loaded sledge constantly sinking into the snow. On December 20th 1911 at an altitude of 8,000 feet Scott’s three man hauling parties established the upper glacier depot near the top of Beardmore glacier. At that point Keohane, Atkinson, Wright and Sherry-Garrard were ordered by Scott to return.

At just short of 300 miles of the pole they had to endure a treacherous 600 mile slog back to Cape Evans. They successfully reached Hut Point on January 26th 1912 despite Keohane’s record breaking antics.