Great Endeavour – Ireland’s Antarctic Explorers by Michael Smith, author of An Unsung Hero – Tom Crean. It deals with 200 years of Irish exploration to the Antarctic, starting with Bransfield and Crozier in the 19th century, onto Crean, Shackleton, Keohane, etc in the 20th and then onto the modern day travellers such as Pat Falvey, Clare O’Leary and Mike Barry. Details on the publishers website – www.collinspress.ie
Michael Smith is delivering an illustrated talk on Great Endeavour at Killarney Library on Tuesday October 12 (7.15pm) and Cork Central Library on Wednesday, October 13 (7.30pm). Michael is also scheduled to give lectures for Mountaineering Ireland in Dublin and Cork on November 18 and 19 respectively, venues to be decided. For details, check with Mountaineering Ireland website, www.mountaineering.ie
• Saturday 9 October: South Pole Inn, Annascaul, Co Kerry, at 9 p.m.
• Monday 11 October, morning: Scoil Phadraig Naofa, Bandon, Co Cork.The teacher there, Mary Murphy, was involved in translating Tom Crean – Ice Man into Irish and is retiring (and she played Orla Fitzgerald’s mother opposite Cillian Murphy in The Wind That Shakes the Barley).
• Monday 11 October, evening: D’Arcy’s Restaurant, Kenmare, Co Kerry, at 8.00 p.m.
• Tuesday 12 October: Killarney Library 7.15 p.m.
• Wednesday 13 October: Cork City Library 7.30 p.m. Michael will also be in the library in the morning with the Children’s Library, as part of the Children’s Book Festival.
• Wednesday 10, Thursday 11 & Friday 12 November: Nenagh, Tipperary. This is part of a literacy promotion project based around Tom Crean – Ice Man.
• Tuesday 16 November: New Ross, Co Wexford. This is part of a literacy promotion project based around Tom Crean – Ice Man.
• Tuesday 16 November: Cloyne Literary & Historical Society, Ballymaloe House, Cork, 8.00 p.m.
• Wednesday 17 November: Lawlor’s Hotel, Bridge Street, Dungarvan, Co Waterford, at 8.00 p.m., in association with Waterford Museum
• Thursday 18 November, in association with Mountaineering Ireland: Basecamp Outdoor and Travel Store, 108 Middle Abbey Street, Dublin 1
• Friday 19 November, in association with Mountaineering Ireland: Cork (venue to be confirmed)
