Shackleton's cousin retraces polar adventure 100 years on
A COUSIN of the legendary explorer Ernest Shackleton last night retraced his steps at a special celebration.
A century on from a lecture at the National Concert Hall by his famous ancestor, Jonathan Shackleton retold the story of the famous expedition that brought the adventurer closer than anyone had ever got to the South Pole.
Shackleton, who was born in Co Kildare but moved to England at the age of 11, and his party set out on the Nimrod expedition after receiving a £5,000 donation from the Commonwealth and £1,000 from the New Zealand government.
Their ship left London in June 1907 and the group reached the Antarctic continent in October 1908. They set up a hut for shelter and began their journey by sleigh and motor car to the South Pole, a 1,700-mile round trip.
The intrepid explorers were just 97 miles from the pole when they were forced to return because of a lack of supplies.
Unfortunately Shackleton never made it to the South Pole, but this hasn't stopped his cousin Jonathan from following in his footsteps. He has led seven groups on journeys to the Antarctic in the last three years, and is a family historian for the Shackletons.
Jonathan, who is now based in Co Cavan, recalled the expedition in a multi-media event at the National Concert Hall in Dublin, the same venue where, exactly 100 years previously, Shackleton gave a lecture on his polar adventure to a sold-out auditorium.
A century later, the appeal of Shackleton is still as strong as ever with last night's event also selling out.
Jonathan also had two objects belonging to Ernest to help illustrate his adventure -- a sleigh that he used on his expeditions and a signed copy of the book the explorer wrote about his expedition, 'The Heart of the Antarctic', dated December 14, 1909.
Well-known Irish poets and musicians also joined in the tributes including composer Michael Holohan, who arranged a piece specifically for the occasion.
The composer has a keen interest in the journeys of Shackleton. According to Jonathan, he had already planned to write a piece of music to celebrate the 100-year anniversary before he was approached to get involved in last night's event.
The celebration only marked the start of how Ernest Shackleton's family will honour his name. Jonathan, who is himself an experienced explorer, hopes to recreate Shackleton's Endurance trip next February when he will attempt to cross the 2,000-mile Antarctic continent.
- Michael McHale
Irish Independent
