Post by earl on Nov 6, 2007 14:18:57 GMT
Irish President Mary McAleese has donated nearly $190,000 to New Zealand's campaign to save the Antarctic huts used by some of Ireland's most famous sons.
The huts used by Sir Ernest Shackleton, Tom Crean and Frank Worsley have been listed as some of the most endangered historical sites in the world, but Britain has pledged less than one-tenth of the estimated $9 million cost of saving them from the ravages of the Antarctic weather.
McAleese announced the €100,000 ($NZ189,000) gift at a $250-a-head fundraising lunch in Auckland for the New Zealand Antarctic Heritage Trust at the end of her week-long state visit to New Zealand.
Trust executive director Nigel Watson said nearly 400 places at the lunch were sold, with 10-seat tables costing between $2500 and $4000.
All proceeds will go to the trust's work on the huts.
"What we're really grateful for is the statement of support from the Irish Government, which hasn't contributed before," Watson said.
"More than anything, it signals the international significance of the huts."
Conservators are at Scott Base working on artefacts taken from the hut Shackleton built at Cape Royds and will return to the hut this summer to complete work to prolong its life.
The hut was listed in 2005 as one of the world's 100 most endangered historical sites, but the trust's efforts saw it slip off the list.
I'm currently reading a book on Tom Crean. One of the hardest Irishmen to ever live. Survived 3 failed south pole expeditions, heroically saved numerous companions at different times, treking out into the wilderness on his own to get help, and after all his efforts, arrived home to Kerry during the war of independence to nearly get executed infront of his family by the tans. Only for they found his Albert medal amoungst his things, he would have been shot. He wasn't even a Republican! The would have shot him for the crime of being 'a paddy'.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Crean
The huts used by Sir Ernest Shackleton, Tom Crean and Frank Worsley have been listed as some of the most endangered historical sites in the world, but Britain has pledged less than one-tenth of the estimated $9 million cost of saving them from the ravages of the Antarctic weather.
McAleese announced the €100,000 ($NZ189,000) gift at a $250-a-head fundraising lunch in Auckland for the New Zealand Antarctic Heritage Trust at the end of her week-long state visit to New Zealand.
Trust executive director Nigel Watson said nearly 400 places at the lunch were sold, with 10-seat tables costing between $2500 and $4000.
All proceeds will go to the trust's work on the huts.
"What we're really grateful for is the statement of support from the Irish Government, which hasn't contributed before," Watson said.
"More than anything, it signals the international significance of the huts."
Conservators are at Scott Base working on artefacts taken from the hut Shackleton built at Cape Royds and will return to the hut this summer to complete work to prolong its life.
The hut was listed in 2005 as one of the world's 100 most endangered historical sites, but the trust's efforts saw it slip off the list.
I'm currently reading a book on Tom Crean. One of the hardest Irishmen to ever live. Survived 3 failed south pole expeditions, heroically saved numerous companions at different times, treking out into the wilderness on his own to get help, and after all his efforts, arrived home to Kerry during the war of independence to nearly get executed infront of his family by the tans. Only for they found his Albert medal amoungst his things, he would have been shot. He wasn't even a Republican! The would have shot him for the crime of being 'a paddy'.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Crean