Tim Foley, a former consultant and magazine columnist who has worked as a Project Consultant to a number of UK television programmes, has, since 2010, spearheaded a campaign to honour Tom Crean, an Irish explorer from County Kerry whose life-saving exploits during the pioneering age of Antarctic exploration, earned him the prestigious Albert Medal for bravery.
From a young age, Foley has been fascinated by the heroic tales of the Irishman, whose story he discovered while spending time in his own father's birthplace of Keel, County Kerry.
The book begins in Ireland under the governance of the British Empire and continues through Crean's career in the Royal Navy and his time serving under the leadership of Scott and Shackleton on three Antartic expeditions.
Taking us through Crean's incredible courageous feats, his retirement and his return to a changed Ireland in the aftermath of rebellion and in the midst of a War of Independence, the book questions why and how Crean's story was largely forgotten, both during his lifetime and after his death. Tim Foley's book encourages to ask why, when Crean's epic bravery has earned him international recognition, his homeland is yet to officially recognise him.
In writing this, his first book, Tim has immersed himself in years of research and study of Crean at some of the world's most respected archives.
Author Biography
For eight years, Salford born TIm Foley has been the driving force of a campaign to honour Tom Crean, an Irish explorer who served under Captain Robert Falcon Scott and Sir Ernest Shackleton on three pioneering expeditions to Antarctica in the early part of the 20th century. Having spent his early career in the building trade, Tim began writing via his own online consumer advice forum in 1999. As a result, he was signed up by ITV to act as Project Consultant on popular television DIY shows such as ITV's Better Homes, followed by Granada's 60 Minute Makeover. Tim was then commisioned to take a lead role in a two-part special for ITV's Tonight With Trevor McDonald. In a sociopolitical experiment that subsequently rendered the project a great success, transforming a derelict Liverpool terraced house into a fully refurbished home at a fraction of the cost of its proposed demolition and the rehousing of its neighbourhood community. From a young age Tim had been left fascinated by the heroic tales of Tom Crean, whose story he discovered while spending much of his time in his father's birthplace of County Kerry, Ireland. Over the course of his career a number of publications have featured Tim's articles and in 2017 he decided to utilise his many years of research and study into the life of Tom Crean to compile this, his first book. In 2010, Tim created a Facebook campaign dedicated to achieving official recognition for the Annascaul born explorer. The campaign and media platforms are today supported by a growing worldwide audience and in February 2018, Tim's petition for a new Irish Naval Flagship to be named in honour of Tom Crean, signed by over 10,000 supporters, was formally received by the Irish Minister for Defence at Government Buildings in Dublin.
