1. The Ballad of Tom Crean

Hail, hail, Tom Crean, hail, hail, Tom Crean,
He?s the bravest man that the world?s ever seen.
Hail, hail, Tom Crean, hail, hail, Tom Crean,
He?s the Irish giant from County Kerry.

Walked thirty-five miles in the Arctic alone
To save Teddy Evans from making his bones.
He went down to the south with Shackleton and Scott,
Won three polar medals and a coward he?s not.
Faced death many times, but he never backed down.
Came home to Anascaul, his little home town.

Hail, hail, Tom Crean, hail, hail, Tom Crean,
He?s the bravest man that the world?s ever seen.
Hail, hail, Tom Crean, hail, hail, Tom Crean,
He?s the Irish giant from County Kerry.

The Ballad of Tom Crean was recorded circa 1918 by fellow crew members of the Endurance expedition which was led by Sir Ernest Shackleton.

2. Subject: RE: Ballad of Tom Crean Date: 16 Jun 10 - 06:56 AM

I wrote "The Ballad of Tom Crean" ten years ago, and first performed it at The Cork Singers Club. The ballad is one of twelve compositions which are included on my cd "Antarctic Ballads" Since then I have been invited to perform at the unveiling of Tom Creans fine statue opposite The South Pole Inn, Annascaul, Co Kerry... At the Shackleton Museum, Athy, Co. Kildare, and also below decks in the Ward Room of "R.R.S.Discovery" now berthed in Dundee, Scotland.

Apart from my own recording of The Ballad of Tom Crean, (Which you can listen to for free by going to www.myspace.com/cliffwedgbury)It has also been recorded by P.J.Murrihy, a fine ballad singer from Co. Clare, and also quite recently by Jimmy Crowley and Martin deCogan, who have a couple of postings on UTube.

I have been writing and performing songs since my teenage years when I used to sing around the London folk clubs during the sixties with Al Stewart and Peter Bellamy, at clubs like Bunjies, Litchfield Street and "LesCousins," in Greek Street. Happy Days of fun and good music. (Sandy Denny poured the cokes in LesCousins, then got up on stage and sank like a lark until dawn.)

Best Wishes from Cliff Wedgbury.