Trust buys sleeping bag used by Antarctic explorer

A TRUST set up to pay tribute to Irish explorers has acquired one of a number of items belonging to a Cork Antarctic adventurer which were sold at Christie’s in London yesterday.

Mike O’Shea, Kerry mountaineer and one of the trust’s founders, paid about €2,000 for an eiderdown inner sleeping bag used by Petty Officer Patrick Keohane of Courtmacsherry, Co Cork, during Robert Falcon Scott’s Terra Nova expedition of 1910-13.

Four other items that once belonged to Keohane were sold to other buyers, with the highest bid of £30,000 for a sledging flag which the Corkman made.

Mr O’Shea made a plea earlier this week for financial support to acquire the memorabilia for the Irish Explorers’ Trust. The trust has already acquired Ernest Shackleton’s ration bag and holly sprig, several books and reports from Antarctica, a cruet set from Terra Nova, a diary, medals and a sledging suit belonging to Patrick Keohane at other auctions.

The items have been given to Kerry County Museum for conservation and display. A chart used by Keohane for the British Antarctic expedition's southern journey of 1910-13 fetched almost £12,000 at Christie's yesterday and a scale model that Keohane made of a sledge fetched almost £7,000. A black silk cap ribbon with Terra Novawoven in gilt thread fetched almost £900.

Keohane was one of six Irish selected for Scott’s Antarctic venture. He was among the group that found Scott’s frozen body on November 12th, 1912, after the race to the South Pole was lost to Norwegian Roald Amundsen.