Treaty tribute to Irish polar explorers

IRELAND IS to subscribe to the international Antarctic Treaty as a tribute to Sir Ernest Shackleton, Tom Crean and other Irish polar explorers.

The commitment, included in the new programme for government, has been welcomed by Green Party TD Mary White, who spoke at the Ernest Shackleton Autumn School in Athy, Co Kildare, at the weekend.

Ms White intends to meet Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin early next month with a view to expediting the commitment.

“Now Ireland can hold its head up in joining some 47 states which support conservation,” the Carlow-Kilkenny TD said.

The Antarctic Treaty will be 50 years old on December 1st, and 47 states representing more than 80 per cent of the world’s population support the agreement. It was written by 12 countries involved in Antarctic research to maintain the region as a “continent for science”, to protect its environment and ensure it was a non-military zone under a “Pax Antarctica”.

Six years ago, the Ernest Shackleton Autumn School passed the first of six resolutions proposing that Ireland sign the agreement.

In 2007, the Government provided funds to the Antarctic Heritage Trust in New Zealand to conserve the huts on Ross Island used by Shackleton and Robert Scott.

“It would be terrific if we can have this signed by 2010,” Ms White said, “and I would hope that people who have campaigned for this, including Jonathan Shackleton, Chris Wilson and Séamus Taaffe of the Ernest Shackleton Autumn School, would be present for the occasion.”

Source: Irish Times, 26 Oct. 2009 - LORNA SIGGINS

To see a copy of the Antarctic Treaty text click the link below. You will also find a link to a copy of the original document signed in 1959 .

Antarctic Treaty text

Tom McManamon

New Horizon Expeditions

www.newhorizon.ie | +353 (0) 1 2883385

Clocks go back

Hi there,

Just a reminder that day light saving ends this weekend.

Don't forget to change your clock, winter's here!

Clocks go back at 2am (to 1am) on Sunday 25th October.

Enjoy the winter season. The penguins are looking forward to their summer way down south!

Tom McManamon

New Horizon Expeditions

www.newhorizon.ie | +353 (0) 1 2883385

Antarctica 2010

Planning for our expedition voyage to Antarctica is well under way. Our ship the M/V Plancius is in great condition after a completely new refit. I visited last week to see the progress. I've included some photos below.

I intend to update the blog with more details as we get closer to our departure date. I'll also update each day during our voyage so if you would like to monitor our progress and take a look at some daily reports then follow this blog.

I'll be putting up details of some other great trips we have lined up for 2010 including a Polar Bear trip to Spitsbergen, a whale safari to St. Kilda, Faroes, Jan Mayen and Spitsbergen as well as a planned expedition trip to South Georgia where a team of walkers will aim to repeat the South Georgia Traverse undertaken by Ernest Shackleton, Tom Crean & Frank Worsley during their epic expedition in 1916.

So lots of great stuff happening over the coming few months.

OK back to Antarctica 2010. We will be leaving Dublin on January 23rd, making our way to Buenos Aires and then on to Uhsuaia in Tierra del Fuego where we board ship for our voyage down to Antarctica.

This is our ship, the M/V Plancius









We will be spending 7 days around the peninsula visiting penguin colonies, reaseach stations and other sites of interest. We will be there during whale season too so hoping to spot some giants of the sea while we are there. If you want to keep up to date then follow us. More to come...

Tom McManamon

New Horizon Expeditions

www.newhorizon.ie | +353 (0) 1 2883385