MKA Blog Tom CreanRecently, I was honoured to be given the task of tracing Tom Crean’s ancestors, by Aileen O’Brien d’Arcy – Tom’s Granddaughter.  Aileen a brilliant professional chef runs the well known Tom Crean Fish & Wine , an Award wining Townhouse & Restaurant in Kenmare.   As well as providing customers with delicious locally sourced food,   Aileen is very involved with preserving the rich heritage surrounding her Grandfather’s  life.

My main achievement in the research was finding the exact date of birth for Tom Crean.  All current books, websites and even the Kerry County Museum say that Tom was born on 20 July 1877.   We can see from a copy of his birth certificate below  that he was born on the 25th February 1877.

MKA Blog Tom Crean Baptism

Tom Crean, famous Antarctic explorer, was born at home on the family farm at Gortacurrane, Annascaul on 25th February 1877.   His birth was not registered until 11th March at Superintendent Register’s Office in Dingle.  Although it was compulsory to register all births from 1864 onwards, all births were not recorded, particularly in the early years and some were recorded a number of months later.   In the case of Annascaul births, it would have been a day’s trek to Dingle over bad unmade roads to get to the registration office, but all of the Crean children have been registered as below.

Tom was the seventh child of Patrick Crean and Catherine (Kate) Courtney.  The other children of the family were:

INFORMATION SOURCE        IrishGenealogy.ie Sponsors
1867  7 Nov Hugh, Gortcurrane    [Farm] Hugh Crean/Mary Connell
1869  6 Mar Mary, Gortacurrane Cornelius Currane/Johanna Crean
1870 14 June John, Ballinknockane Hugh Crean/Mary Courtney
1871  27 Sept Cornelius, Gortacurrane [ RIC]m. Annie Donovan later murdered Hugh Crean/Mary Connell
1873 13 Mar Daniel, Gortacurrane   [Farm] John Cournane/Johanna Cournane
1875 24 Mar Patrick,  n/a
1877 25 Feb Thomas n/a
1875 ? Johanna, Gortacurrane  [Says 1877 on Genealogy] John Cournane/Ellen Moriarty
1887 28 Aug Catherine  m. Policeman NR/Catherine Courtney
1879 14 Mar Michael [Went to sea & was lost] *On Ancestry, didn’t find on Genealogy

Tom’s parents were Patrick Crean and Catherine (Kate) Courtney, who were married in Annascaul Parish Church on 28th February 1867.   I have researched and reported to Aileen on Patrick Crean’s and Catherine Courtney’s ancestors also, their land holdings in Aunascaul and Castlegregory .    If any of my readers are interested in following up possible family links in this area, please contact me by email.(on website).