Shackleton the Explorer
Sir Ernest Shackleton was a true adventurer who led his team through some of the most conditions on earth. His story is one of, leadership, and courage. Let's dive in and discover more about this incredible explorer.
Shackleton’s Endurance
Sir Ernest Shackleton set sail in August 1914 to become the first to cross Antartica on foot from the Weddel Sea to the Ross Sea.
His attempt fell foul of exceptionally harsh sea ice conditions that left the ship trapped in the ice for 10 months.
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When Spring arrived the ship tried hard to excape the ice but it wastrapped solid and was crushed as easy as match sticks.
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Shackleton then set about a rescue mission to save his men.
The Endurance Expidition
Journey to Antarctica with Shackleton and his 27 men on board our story of The Endurance Expedition
Shackleton the Leader
Sir Ernest Shackleton was born in Kilkea, Co Kildare, an hour west of Dublin. He resided there until he moved to London with his family at the age of 10. At 16, Shackleton left school to join the Merchant Navy where he developed a love for adventure. Although Shackleton was a well-accomplished Antarctic explorer, his greatest challenge was yet to unfold during the Endurance Expedition of 1914.
The Exhibition Story
The Endurance exhibition was originally curated by the American Museum of Natural History, New York in 2000. Like Shackleton, the exhibition is well travelled, formerly residing in the U.S.A, Spain, the UK and then Dún Laoghaire, Co. Dublin.
The exhibition was a collection of 95 framed photographs reprinted from original glass plate prints owned by The Royal Geographical Society and The Scott Polar Research Institue (SPRI) Cambridge.
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The exhibition was open in Dun Laoghaire from September 2012 until December 2015. It provided a remarkable insight into the lives of those who lived through the horrors of the icy cold expedition including three Irishmen, Ernest Shackleton from Kildare, Tom Crean from Kerry and Tim McCarthy from Cork. The exhibition ran for three years after which it was on loan to Detroit Zoo for 12 months before it was fully acquired by the Zoo in 2017. The exhibition lives on in the pages of this website and the joitings of Liam Maloney.
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