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.”